Avaliação (DmYan Framework)
[Island of Yonder] - Score: 5/10
WHAT WORKS:
- Tema de ilha com ambientação distinta (mapas e fauna/flora exótica).
- Conflitos/facções locais já insinuados pelo texto-base.
WHAT FAILS:
- Bloco de preparação genérico não preenchido; faltam ganchos, relógios e encontros específicos.
- Mistura EN/PT e resíduos de referência de livro prejudicam fluidez.
- Não há estrutura de viagem/exploração (rotas, perigos climáticos, recompensas).
BRUTAL TRUTH:
- Recorte do livro com checklist genérico; não está pronto para mesa paga.
FIX IT:
- Preencher ganchos com objetivos e recompensas específicas deste local (não genéricas).
- Escrever relógio de resposta + 2-3 encontros nomeados com risco/benefício claros.
- Revisar linguagem para PT-BR fluido e remover metatexto do livro/regras genéricas.
- Adicionar rotas de viagem, perigos ambientais e consequências regionais para falha/sucesso.
Island of Yonder
Fonte: 08 Chapter 5- The Cerulean Gulf.md — seção “Island of Yonder”
This rocky island is surrounded by shallows and other dangers, which makes finding a place to anchor very difficult. However, there is one small cove where a ship can be anchored safely. From there, a narrow path leads up to the island proper.
Island Handout: Yonder
When the party arrives at Yonder, give your players a copy of the Island of Yonder map.
As your ship approaches this rocky island, a shallow cove appears to be the best spot to lay anchor. Stained and charred white marble and concrete ruins dot the shore, and you can clearly see the bones of giant humanoids. The relatively intact structures have doorways that are unusually tall and wide.
A tower near the cove is the only complete building in sight. Although recently built, its foundations are clearly much older and similar to the nearby ruins. From a window in the tower, a six-armed cyclops looks out at the sea, your ship, and you.
The Order of Sydon
The Island of Yonder has been taken over by the Order of Sydon, a faction of zealots who are fiercely devoted to Sydon, the Lord of Storms.
The Order intends to destroy the heroes. They are an effective, organized force. Unlike some other groups in the Cerulean Gulf, the Order of Sydon are highly coordinated and prepared for interlopers. This makes them far more difficult to deal with than most of the dangers that the heroes have encountered so far.
Gaius, the commander of the Order, is a very clever leader and a cunning strategist. He will not throw away the lives of his men in a piecemeal fashion, and he will not order them to fight to the death unless he has no other choice. He is a dangerous man. For as long as the heroes are on this island, they should feel the pressure of Gaius and his forces breathing down their neck.
Chondrus, the master of the Great Library, is also here. He is not loyal to Gaius, but he provides assistance to the Order when called for. Both Gaius and Chondrus were present when the heroes were called before King Acastus, and they remember the heroes well.
History of Yonder
This island was the ancient capital of the Gygan Empire that once dominated much of Thylea. The gygans were already in decline when the Dragonlords arrived, but most of those that remained were wiped out in the First War. The gygan communities and forts on Yonder were razed by the Dragonlords in the last days of the struggle.
In the last decade, the Order of Sydon has made the island their main base of operations. The few gygans who still lived on the island were eager to work with the Order and thereby gain favor with Sydon. They believe that this, perhaps, is a chance to return to the glory of ages past.
Structures and Ruins
Two buildings have been mostly reconstructed by the Order and the gygans. One is a small tower close to the cove that allows landfall. The other is a magnificent library near the center of the island. The rest of the island is covered in ruins from the ancient gygan civilization. There are a half-dozen sites that show broken marble pillars and slabs of concrete, some of which are partially charred by dragon fire.
The skeletal remains of gygans are everywhere in these ruins. The few living gygans avoided the ruins out of superstitious fear of the long dead. There are animals on the island, but they are mostly seagulls and small animals such as rats and shrews.
Ancient Grievances
The many ruins across the island have been mostly picked clean by the Order of Sydon. All that remains are the bones of the gygans who died five centuries ago. The gygans who still live on Yonder leave these bones in the open as a reminder of the evils that the Dragonlords visited upon their people.
Because of the atrocities of Estor Arkelander, the Ultros is a ship that the gygans have never forgotten, and anyone who comes to the island aboard the legendary ship will be an immediate target of the gygans’ wrath.
1. Garrison of Soldiers
This tower’s main purpose is to house a small garrison of soldiers who protect the island and the Library. The tower is guarded by a detachment of 16 soldiers from the Order of Sydon and 2 gygans led by Marcion (LE Captain). One of the gygans is always on watch and will alert the tower if he sees a ship approaching.
Once Marcion becomes aware of the heroes, he will send one of his men to inform Gaius at the library. Marcion will try to ensure that the garrison remains in the tower unless ordered otherwise by Gaius or Chondrus. However, if the Ultros makes anchor within visible range of the tower, Marcion will be unable to stop the two gygans in his garrison from going down to try and kill anyone coming to shore.
Encounter: Confrontation
If Gaius learns that the heroes have made landfall, he will send a war party to confront them.
An armored man riding a bull approaches you. His steed is completely encased in metallic scales. He wears a cerulean cape and a breastplate that has been engraved with a red eye, the symbol of Sydon. A group of soldiers and a six-armed cyclops march behind him. As soon as they see your party, the monstrous bulls charge toward you with a thunderous roar!
Gaius has sent one of his captains mounted on a Gorgon, along with one Gygan and six soldiers.
2. Ancient Library
The ancient library, now rebuilt, is in the middle of a ruined gygan city. It is both the headquarters of the Order’s supreme commander and the location of the Order’s most important project. The path here from the cove is easy to spot, as it is frequently used.
Sydon is obsessed with arcane lore and the Order are gathering such knowledge from as many unique sources as possible. They have been using three main methods:
- Gathering scrolls and tomes from across Thylea.
- Capturing shipwrecked sailors from the outer world.
- Using all sorts of magic to learn forbidden secrets.
Most of the Order think that the library is somehow giving them information through such spells as contact other plane and legend lore, but this is not all that has been happening. Chondrus, the master of the library, has been making deals with the yugoloths of Hades. The library also has a half-dozen scholars (LE nobles) to tend to the books and scrolls, along with four acolytes who study arcane lore, conduct magical experiments, and use divination magic to look beyond Thylea.
Finally, the library is also home to soldiers and gygans under command of Gaius, the supreme commander of the Order of Sydon.
Cliffs
The cliffs surrounding the library are 200 ft. in height. The cliffs are steep and require a successful DC 15 Strength check to scale. The Order of Sydon doesn’t patrol the cliffs, so it’s a dangerous but effective way to stealthily gain entry to the library.
Doors
The doors of the library are all built for Large-sized humanoids. Medium and smaller creatures need to use an action to open the doors here.
Rousing the Garrison
While Gaius may have learned that strangers have made landfall on Yonder, he is confident that sending out one of his captains should deal with the threat. The garrison at the library will not become alert until intruders are seen approaching the gates—or until a fight breaks out inside the walls. If the library is alerted to intruders, all of the soldiers in both barracks will be roused. The walls and towers at the front gate will be reinforced, and a warband will be dispatched to intercept the heroes. The warband includes six soldiers, one Gygan, and a Captain with orders to kill the heroes.
Commander Gaius
If the library hasn’t been alerted, then Gaius can be encountered in his quarters. However, if Gaius is alerted to intruders, he will summon his mount, Argyn (LE Young Silver Dragon), and wait for her before engaging in battle. Gaius can summon Argyn by blowing a whistle that hangs around his neck.
Argyn is usually hunting dolphins and whales in the waters close to the island, and it will take her about ten minutes to return. If the heroes leave the library before Argyn arrives, then Gaius will mount up and search for their ship from the air. Once he finds the ship, he will attempt to kill everyone onboard. If the heroes have not yet encountered Sydon’s fleet, then he may summon them to his aid.
Gancho e Objetivo
- Por que ir a esta ilha? Defina 1-2 motivações fortes (resgatar alguém, roubar algo único, forjar aliança ou destruir a ameaça central de Island of Yonder).
- Estabeleça objetivo claro de saída (conquistar, escapar, negociar) e custo do fracasso.
Clima e Sensações
- Traga 3 sentidos em cena (som, cheiro, textura) que diferenciem esta ilha; repita-os para manter a identidade do lugar.
- Mostre sinais de poder local (patrulhas, rituais, marcas no terreno) antes do confronto principal.
Perigos e Relógios
- Crie um relógio de 4 partes: patrulha chega / terreno piora / líder reage / colapso ou contra-ataque.
- Liste 2-3 perigos ambientais específicos de Island of Yonder (armadilhas naturais, terreno difícil, clima, magia latente).
Pistas e Agência
- Entregue 3 pistas que apontem rotas alternativas (atalho, aliado possível, fraqueza do chefe). Nenhuma pista deve ser única.
- Permita escolhas: infiltração, diplomacia, barganha ou ataque frontal devem ter consequências claras.
Encontros e Táticas
- Escreva 2 encontros menores que revelem o tom do lugar antes do clímax; varie interação social/combate/exploração.
- Para o chefe ou força dominante, defina táticas de abertura, reação a fuga/rendição e o que acontece se forem enganados.
Recompensas e Consequências
- Vincule recompensas a objetivos (informação rara, bênção, recurso logístico) e não só a tesouro genérico.
- Anote como o mundo reage ao resultado (facções locais, deuses, rivais) para manter continuidade.
Preparação Rápida
- Mapas/zonas essenciais (entrada, coração do local, rota de fuga) em 3 camadas.
- Nomes e vozes de 3 NPCs-chave; 3 detalhes visuais prontos para improviso; 1 rumor verdadeiro e 1 falso.