The Ebony Glade and The Dreamlands of Tolemue — New Setting, Subclass, and Playable Race! (Patreon)

The Ebony Glade is a secluded wood found in the realm of the fey. Roughly three miles in diameter, the quiet, serene wood has long stood as a tranquil reminder of nature’s beauty. However, at its heart, a nightmare has taken form, transforming it over the last fifty years into a place of shadow. Unbeknownst to outsiders, the culprit of this malformation is the glade’s own warden—the ancient dryad, Tolemue—whose fitful sleep at the base of her giant oak has created a world separate from reality: the Dreamlands. In truth, however, she is simply a prisoner of her own nightmare.

The true enemy is a powerful demon, Azgoreoth the Hungering, who was drawn to the fey forest like a moth to a flame. Tolemue’s considerable powers as a near archfey makes her a near-limitless font of life—one that Azgoreoth plans to sip from for eternity. By trapping Tolemue in an enchanted slumber, he has turned her potent dreams into a snare; many an adventurer traveling through the Ebony Glade has been caught in the demon’s web. Those who perish within the Dreamlands become servants to Azgoreoth—Devourers—hastening the decline of the forest.

Soon, nothing (and no one) will be left, and the Ebony Glade will wither to ash as Azgoreoth and his minions leave for fresh victims. Brave adventurers are needed to rescue the survivors of Reverie’s End from their demiplanar prison and take the fight to Azgoreoth himself at the heart of these Dreamlands. Only then will Tolemue wake and allow the nightmare to end at last.

The Ebony Glade is an ancient fey forest steeped in magic, and now moreso than ever. Its dryad protector, Tolemue, has been forcefully put to sleep and forced to dream eternally—bringing all those that come near her into her dreamlands, which are fraught with peril. Can you help her, and everyone else trapped here, before it's too late?

This setting includes a playable race and new subclass: the half-dryad and Druid's Circle of the Grove! As a half-dryad, or sproutling, you're inherently caught between the restricted world of your mother, a dryad tied to her bound tree, and the freedoms of your father. Where will you go, if anywhere, and what do you hope to find there?

Druids of the Circle of the Grove focus on their connection to plants as much as they do to beasts. In doing so, they can transform into a number of plant forms, or even as plant-like versions of the beasts they know! Their magic allows them to become as strong as hardened oaks and as flexible as a new-grown sapling!

Speaking of the subclass, here's a reminder that we also have official subclass playtest sessions on the Discord! So please feel welcome to sign up for them and get early looks and hands-on time with them! As always, further revisions will be made here with published updates as they're released!

What's Included:

• 22 pages of dreamy fey demiplanes, history, and characters!
• Decide the future of the forest and the creatures trapped inside!
• Bonus maps donated by Cze & Peku!
• 5 new statblocks of nightmarish and tricky creatures!
• New Druid circle: the Circle of the Grove! Transform into stalwart trees and enrich your allies with supportive magic!
• New playable race: the Half-Dryad! Find your place in the open world as a creature between worlds and led by optimism and heartfelt purpose!

Credits

I was responsible for direction, design, and additional editing for this setting. However, this couldn't be possible without extra help. If you like this setting, consider supporting these other incredible creators:

John Webb — Writing

TheArenaGuy — Monster design, editing

Cze & Peku — Maps

Damien Mammoliti — Monster Art & Subclass illustration

Riccardo Piovan — Cover art

Jelke Ludolphij — Additional layout

This release is also made especially possible by the extra generosity of $13+ Legendary Heroes! Thank you all so much for you support, and be proud of your place in the end credits! You've earned it!