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Hidden Destinies:
A 5th Level Side-Trek
by Brian Cortijo

“Hidden Destinies” is a Side Trek designed for five characters of 5th level set in the Forgotten Realms. It contains two encounters, each of which can lead to a longer adventure. Both encounters involve an escort quest. You simply pick whichever background option works the best for your campaign, and run the encounter associated with it.


The church of Bane has spies in many places across Faerûn (and elsewhere on Toril), and the clergy of Amaunator is no exception. Verped, a Banite residing at Fort Morninglord, intercepted the original message, and has come to a startling conclusion: The boy, Caom, is not some unfortunate innocent caught up in unknown powers. Verped believes him to be the subject of a long-forgotten prophesy. The boy will grow into the greatest tyrant of this or any age, eclipsing even the Chosen Imperator Fzoul Chembryl and heralding the Black Age of Bane.


Talk about this Forgotten Realms adventure here.

Feb 9, 2010 -- 9:37PM, Arvagor wrote:

Well, according to the Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide (page 125 for those keeping score at home), Fort Morninglord is off limits to everyone!

Fort Morninglord: This keep lies a day’s ride west
of Elturel, overlooking the River Chionthar. Its entire
complement of paladins disappeared one night three
years ago in an event that blackened every stone and
fused every door and window of the keep. Fearing
contagion by the unknown evil that rendered the
keep uninhabited, the High Observer sealed all visible
entrances behind additional layers of stone and
mortar, and proclaimed that anyone who broke this
interdiction would become an outlaw of the land.

Didn't the writers get the memo? ;-)

Indeed, I did. And yet, aware of that information, I decided to use Fort Morninglord anyway.

That's not to say your concern isn't valid (it is, of course), but the decision wasn't made out of ignorance; I simply didn't take the time to explain how the events of the adventure could occur there. And while I like a bit of mystery, I'll say that the adventure doesn't invalidate the sealing of the keep of Fort Morninglord in any way. It does suggest, however, that perhaps the church of Amaunator has been keeping things running at the Fort without violating the High Observer's edict.

Which, of course, would raise the question of 'Why?'

So yes, I got the memo. But 'off limits' doesn't include designers.

Great piece, Brian. I took it that Fort Morninglord was a larger complex, just like a... well.... fort and that the location sealed was but one area.

Anyways, I may have to run with this little side-trek- I think it would be a great addition to an existing home campaign.