Island of the Exiles • Odyssey of the Dragonlords

Small Island

Although the sea is calm, finding a safe place to come ashore on this rocky island is a difficult task. There is one obvious place to make landfall: a stone dock on the island’s only beach. A lone figure stands upon the dock, watching warily as your ship approaches. Vegetation grows by the shore, but there are no trees.

For more than a century, this island has served as a prison colony for exiles. There are several small fishing boats tied up at the stone dock. One of the exiles is always on watch at the dock to alert the community when new arrivals make landfall.

Criminals from Mytros accused of heinous crimes, such as murder, are sometimes exiled to this island for the rest of their lives. Mytrosian justice also allows for powerful citizens to be exiled by popular consent. When this happens, the exiles are ferried to the island, where they must remain for at least a decade.

The sailing route to the island is a well-kept secret known only to King Acastus and his closest advisors. This is not a secret that Acastus shares with the heroes, as too many of his personal enemies are on the rocky island. The island has no large trees for good reason: no trees mean no wood for boat building. The island is mostly covered in bushes and small fig trees which are entirely unsuitable for any nautical purposes.

Island of the Exiles Key Locations#

O1: The Dock#

The only safe way to gain access to the island by ship is to use the stone dock located on the south of the island. Idylla is watching the docks when the heroes arrive. She sends another exile to alert the village.

Idylla immediately realizes that the Ultros is not a prison ship from Mytros. She wants to introduce herself to the party before her rivals in the village have a chance to meet them. She welcomes them to the island and does everything she can to ingratiate herself.

“Hail, strangers, and well met. Do my eyes deceive me or is that the Ultros ? You must be great warriors to command such a ship. Welcome to the Island of Exiles. I am called Idylla. Perhaps you have heard of my son—King Acastus of Mytros?”

Idylla offers to escort them to the village, where the elected “king” of the island is waiting to speak with them. She will make conversation as she takes them to the village, explaining the purpose of the island and the story of how she came to be exiled here.

O2: The Village#

The exiles and criminals have learned to co-exist and have built a simple community near the center of the island. Read the following when the heroes approach:

A narrow path leads to a cluster of stone houses gathered near the center of the island. A plain temple rises beside a deep well, and gardens cling to the rocky soil. As you approach, a group of men emerges to meet you. At their head strides a tall man who looks more well fed than the men that flank him.

This is King Stavros and he approaches the heroes with six other exiles, including Keelan and Idylla if she isn’t with the heroes. He introduces himself and explains the nature of the island if Idylla hasn’t already. He is quite open about their status as exiles and “criminals” in Mytros. He questions the heroes as to their purpose and will answer any questions they have. He will quickly steer the conversation to the problem he needs solved—a problem that is causing much distress to the island’s makeshift community. Refer to the section Event: Murder Investigation below.

The Exiles. The inhabitants of the island are an eclectic group who have learned to live together. Every year they vote for a new “king.” This king is a moderator for disputes. He decides how to punish those who transgress against the small community’s rules.

There are 25 men (CE, NE and LN Commoners) and three women (LN and NE Nobles) in the community. The most important members of the community are:

King Stavros. (LE Noble) One of the newer exiles, Stavros has been voted king for the past two years. A charismatic man, Stavros was one of the most successful wine merchants in all of Thylea. He claims to have been exiled by popular vote, but in reality, he was sent to the island for poisoning a rival. Stavros is paranoid that a new prisoner or exile will reveal his lie, but so far, no one has shown up on the island who knows the truth about his past.
Tadd. (CE Bandit) A recluse, Tadd is one of the strangest inhabitants of the island. He has a penchant for talking to himself, randomly screaming obscenities at the gods, and defecating in the middle of conversations. His obvious “eccentricities” are overlooked because he is the island’s best woodworker, stone mason, and architect. He was sent to the island for murdering six women in Stygian Row. Idylla and the other women of the island hate and fear him for obvious reasons.
Keelan. (CN Gladiator) A skilled warrior and thoughtful philosopher from a respected family in Mytros, Keelan has a fiery temper. He feels that he deserves his fate on the island as he killed his brother in a fit of anger while arguing over a woman. Keelan is well respected by the other exiles, but this is not reciprocal.

He detests everyone on the island, but he is careful not to let it show. He will urge the heroes not to free anyone from the island, because they all deserve to be here—or much worse.

Tyrone. (CE Bandit) A self-righteous and angry man, Tyrone is perpetually plotting to escape the island. Tyrone was a loud-mouthed demagogue in Mytros, and his rabble-rousing ways eventually got him exiled. Six of the younger exiles are besotted by his words, but he has yet to be elected king, because everyone else knows that he’s a small-minded blowhard. Tyrone will constantly badger the heroes to let him and his followers accompany them on their voyage. If he is rebuffed, he becomes angry, but he is too much of a coward to do anything about it. He isn’t a suspect because he has a lame leg.
Idylla. (LE Noble) Idylla is one of the few women on the island. She boasts considerable influence and excellent political instincts. Idylla was exiled from Mytros because she is Acastus’s mother, and many citizens felt that she was abusing her influence over the king in the early years of his reign. The nobility banded together to have her exiled. Acastus was outwardly distraught, but secretly, he was glad to be rid of his overbearing mother. Idylla is regarded as the most beautiful woman on the island. Many of the men vie for her favor, but she has been careful not to play favorites. If Idylla senses that she can convince a hero to take her off of the island, she will use her considerable charm to seduce them. She dotes on Acastus, but she has no loyalty to him, and she has no qualms betraying him if it means escaping the island.

O3: Murder Site#

The site of the latest murder is located a few hundred feet north of the settlement among a cluster of large boulders. The victim was a veteran soldier named Guylin. Blood stains mark the rocks where he fell.

A successful DC 14 Wisdom (Survival) check reveals

two sets of tracks. A successful DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation) check

reveals that one set of tracks is unusual, leaving an irregular heel impression.

Event: Murder Investigation#

Stavros has a chance to tell the heroes about the island’s current problem, read the following:

“Four of our people have been slain, each with their throat cut. We do not know the hand behind these murders, but we cannot endure more bloodshed. We need your aid to uncover the truth.”

Stavros, Idylla and Keelan all agree that the murderer is almost certainly one of the exiles on the island. Two of the dead were seasoned warriors, not easily slain. The killer must be no ordinary thug, but someone trained and skilled in battle. Idylla thinks it must be the recluse Tadd, while Stavros suspects that Tyrone is trying to supplant him. Keelan feels that jumping to conclusions doesn’t help anything, as the murderer could be anyone, including one of the three of them. Stavros and Idylla want the heroes to investigate the murders—since they’ve just arrived, everyone agrees that they are neutral in the dispute.

If the heroes agree, then they will find that everyone is tight-lipped about the murders, and all four bodies have been burned, leaving no remains and making spells such as Speak with Dead unusable. Unless some means of talking to the spirits of the murdered people can be found, solid evidence is difficult to find. However, if the party can come up with a convincing case against someone on the island, Stavros and Idylla will be satisfied. Keelan will not be happy with any explanation.

Investigation#

Idylla will tell the heroes that the best warriors on the island are Tadd, Stavros, Keelan, and two of Tyrone’s young fanatics. Stavros is visibly uncomfortable being put in this group, but Keelan seems unbothered. Idylla suggests they talk to all these men and investigate the site of the latest murder (refer to area O3).

Using Magic#

Spells such as Augury, Commune, and Divination are useful in the investigation. Detect Thoughts and Zone of Truth are useful for any interrogations the heroes might perform.

Investigating Stavros#

Stavros claims to have an alibi for the latest murder. Unfortunately for him, that alibi is Tyrone, who insists Stavros is lying.

Investigating Tadd#

Idylla believes that the most likely murderer is Tadd. He’s a strange man, and he can offer no coherent account of his whereabouts over any period of time. He could easily kill someone and then instantly forget that he did it. He’s also a monster.

Talking to Tyrone#

Tyrone is not the killer, but two of his men could be responsible. If questioned, Tyrone has no idea whether they actually did it, but it would flatter him if they did. They’ve assaulted people who have spoken out against him in the past. Murder would be the natural next step, and his detractors deserve it, in any case. Tyrone also claims that Stavros was not with him during the latest

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murder. However, a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals that he is lying, as will Detect Thoughts or Zone of Truth.

Investigating Tyrone’s Fanatics#

The two young men are named Eryx and Phaedon (NE

Soldiers, appendix B). They act nervous when questioned, but not because they are guilty. They fear being blamed since they are the least important suspects.

Investigating Keelan#

Keelan has the necessary skills to kill people and cover it up. He loathes everyone on the island, but he’s not the prime suspect, because everyone just assumes that he’s as genial as his placid exterior suggests. If someone looks for a pair of boots that might make an irregular impression, a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) reveals the boots stuffed under Keelan’s bed.

If accused of the murder, Keelan might simply confess—he’s just glad to finally talk about how much he hates everyone.

Rewards#

If the heroes solve the murder, then the exiles reward the party with a white ox worth 500 GP. The ox can be used as sacrificial livestock aboard the Ultros.

Idylla gives the heroes three potions. These were given to her by her son as an insurance policy if she was faced with violence. The potions include a Potion of Healing (superior), Potion of Clairvoyance, and a Potion of Invulnerability.

Additional Crew. If the party solves the murder, they earn the respect of the exiles. The party may choose to take up to 25 of them on as crew for the Ultros, to replenish any crew who have been lost at sea.

If the party doesn’t solve the murder, then the exiles are unwilling to join their crew. The thought of being confined on a ship with a potential murderer is more terrifying than remaining on the island.