Rather than an adventure, this is a campaign setting with plenty of adventure potential. Long ago a primitive race of lizardfolk dwelled in a settlement they called Hssith, in a swampy area that suited them. Then there was a massive earthquake that caused a mountain to tumble and water rush in, destroying a dark elf city in the process. Managing to salvage their library, the dark elves swore to restore their city to its former glory, but in the meantime they took over Hssith, enslaving the lizardfolk and renaming the place Hosuth. The dark elves are open to visiting humanoids, especially if they want to trade.

This setting is suited to combat-heavy adventures or ones that feature lots of political intrigue, so whatever your group prefers you can make use of its varied terrain - swamps, mountains, rivers, lakes and wilderness surround the city - and all that's going on within city limits. The city is made up of two distinct parts: the beautifully-manicured vegetation covered dark elf section and the wilder, more primitive areas where the lizardfolk dwell.

This work seeks to describe the city, its occupants and locations. It's up to you how the party gets there and why, but once there the very descriptions may suggest ideas for plots even before you reach the Adventure Hooks section. This lists a wide-ranging selection of ideas which you'll need to develop into full-blown adventures, they are but a paragraph apiece. A few prominent NPCs are also provide, and of course there is a map giving an overview of the entire city.

This has loads of potential, but it requires plenty of DM preparation before anything more than a 'just passing through' session can be run. Nice ideas and excellent evocation of atmosphere make it worth considering, though.

Return to The Dark Elf City of Hosuth page.

Reviewed: 3 November 2017