Falling Sky

This encounter is designed as part of the first chapter of the Rise of the Seventh campaign, an introductory story to the Seven Spheres. The adventure mentions inert Aither crystals, that is because in the timeline, this world hasn’t experienced the Conjunction that awakens the powers of Aither, and the course of this campaign is the events of the Conjunction from a rough flight beginning.
The scene opens to the players boarding an airship heading to the Palace of Spheres. This serves as a way to introduce the players and give the explanation below.

The docking ring buzzes with activity, workers loading cargo and passengers boarding.  The call for departures in digitized voices barely louder than the cacophony around you.  
Your ship, the Peridot, has several crewmen carrying cargo onto it.  The Peridot has agreed to take on some passengers to the Palace of Spheres as well, in hopes of earning some extra income.  Each of you begin to board the Peridot quickly, and after Settling in to your Cabin, you each Come up to the deck to watch the launch to the Palace. 

The Players will have a chance to interact with each Other and The Crew of The Peridot as they are about to launch for The Palace of Spheres. Continue reading below.

The Whistle sings as The departure alert goes out on The Docks.  The airship’s engines rumble to life.  You all watch as the Peridot gently glides away from the docking ring of Skytower Port, sails billowing as you gain altitude.  You can see the city of Zeiar sprawled below you, the shining districts of the Plaza levels, twisting highways with dozens of streetcars driving through, and peeking below the neon lights of the Underdeck sections.  Above and around, you can see other airships making their way, some going eastward towards Sathir or Rasirkstan, others going westward to the Empire. 
About an hour into your flight, alarms begin ringing out, and the source is a dozen smaller airships around you have begun to open fire.  These smaller airships target several vessels, including yours.  Two sidle up to your ship, launching harpoons and latching on, causing the Peridot to tilt uncomfortably, and pirates begin boarding your vessel!

The Peridot does stablize it’s flight, however the pirates will begin attacking anyone they see, be they armed or not.  About 4 rounds of combat will pass, and the pirates will try to drag the Peridot off course, forcing the players to make an average  reflex save (dexterity for 5e).  Three Rounds after this, there will be another save needed.  

After two in-game minutes, the Peridot’s engine suffers a critical failure and begins plummeting.  Repairs will be attempted, but they’re only able to keep the airship from crashing to their doom.  Players can of course attempt to help and try to keep the airship aloft, but the ship’s engine is to damaged to do much other than slow their descent.
The Peridot ends up crashing in the western hills about 3 miles outside of Zeiar, and desperately needs repairs.  Players can attempt to aid in these repairs.  As they were crashing, some of the crew noted what may have been a building not to far from the crash site.  Players can go and investigate that or the cave where aggressive creatures may attack, both sites lead to a hidden ruins that contain some magical items, including inert Aither crystals.

The Shattered Temple

The players approach around an old ruined road, and see the upper levels of this temple has collapsed.  They can see symbols that, with an easy religion check, will tell them this temple may have belonged to a Shevilar church, who worship multiple deities through the idea that they are of the Light of All.  Because no defining deific symbol is on the outside, there is no way to tell if this temple was dedicated to any specific deity, as most temples and churches are.

Entrance

The entrance is flanked by a pair of stone Lions, it’s front door fallen, from what You Cannot tell. Inside, The small hall extends back,an odd Crystaline statue Sits in the middle of the hall.

Large creatures that had been living in The entrance rush out, startled by The arrival of The group. The statue states “The powers of the æther are the gifts of the Gods, to show the Helusians The Powers Of Conjunction and Synergy.”  

Worship Hall

The main hall has fallen into disrepair, the large Stone Table cracked and decaying.  The statue of an angelic figure Looks down upon the table, though it too has fallen into decay.  A set of crystals sits upon the table, though they appear to be rare gems, there is a dullness from them.

The crystals on the table are Aither crystals that are inert.  Anyone who has magic capabilities can sense there is something magical about them, though the power seems to have been drained out.  
A young drake has made its home here, and when the players approach the altar, it swoops down to protect it’s hoard.  The creature should be difficult to defeat, and if it’s health is dropped to 4, it will attempt to flee and hide in the upper levels.  An investigation reveals a magical trap that compels creatures to guard this altar, the rune found on the Statue.  
The rooms adjacent to the altar room have books and worship supplies, a fountain of dried water, and a Collapsing Roof trap with minor alterations are found in the southern hall.  To the north the rooms that lead up to the upper levels.  These upper levels are partially collapsed, though players can find a few potions of healing, an oil of mending, and a brooch of shielding.

Collapsing Roof

Mechanical trap
This trap is triggered when a group passes through an archway to the south, collapsing the supports keeping an unstable section of a ceiling in place.
The weak point is a set of unsteady stone caused by some of the roots on the ground. The DC to spot the unstable root is 15. A successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools to stabilize the roots rendering the trap harmless. A character without thieves’ tools can attempt this check with disadvantage using any edged weapon or edged tool. On a failed check, the trap triggers.
Anyone who inspects the beams can easily determine that they are merely wedged in place. As an action, a character can knock over a beam, causing the trap to trigger.
The ceiling above the trip wire is in bad repair, and anyone who can see it can tell that it’s in danger of collapse.
When the trap is triggered, the unstable ceiling collapses. Any creature in the area beneath the unstable section must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Once the trap is triggered, the floor of the area is filled with rubble and becomes difficult terrain.

Priest’s Room

Behind the statue is a door that leads to a small space, collapsing shelves stretch across the walls behind a comfortable chair and a simple desk.  A lounging couch to the side lies partially collapsed.

Like the rest of the temple, the office lies in deep disrepair.  Players can find a coffer behind the desk that contains 2d6 coins and gems, a spell scroll of 1st level, and a bag of holding.  A journal can be found in the desk, and according to the date this temple was in use during the period between the War of the Rivers, and a hard history check will reveal that what is written about (below) talks about an era where helus had been dealing with a magical calamity, and the temple had to be defended (along with others of its nature).  The journal also explains that, to protect the temple, a rune has been placed that triggers to guard this site instead of plunder it.  A hard arcana check reveals the rune’s power is expended on the drake, and that it cannot work on anyone new.

638 ZE
The White Blight continues to fuel the war, and the other realms are concerned with the state of Helus.  The Helusian Sphere has asked our temples to lock up, the wells are being closed.  We are advised to keep the crystals sealed until the next Grand Conjunction, since the council has deemed the realms must close off for a short time.  I fear this will cause Helus to decline, but I have no say in this.  The war is getting to close to Zeiar as it is, so we shall do what we must. 
For now, we shall seal the secrets away until the Grand Conjunction, so we can guide the realm of Helus to glory once more, peacefully, is the hope.

Ascension

After a few hours, the Airship is repaired and the Peridot can take off, though it will be moving at half speed.  Because of the chaos of the attack, they can see smoke rising from Zeiar still, helicopters and airships flit around, with jets zooming by.  Radio traffic is still in chaos, though the attack seems to have ended.  There is a 5% chance that cultists in a small airship attacks.

The Peridot ascends, against the odds.  Sailing slowly to the Palace to, at last, make the deliveries.  As the Peridot rises, a jet flies close by, checking on the vessel itself, and disappears over the landscape.  Shortly after, two Emergency Crew airships sail in to give aid to the Peridot, bringing your vessel to the docks at the Palace of Spheres.  The docks, having taken damage, are busier than normal, so docking takes some extra time.  After a few more hours, your vessel docks, and you are escorted off the Peridot.  Two Palace Guards approach you all.
“You’re the crew who found the Temple on the surface, and we’ve been asked to escort you to the commander.”  They turn and escort you out of the docks to another section of the floating island of the Palace.

The end of the Falling Sky encounter leaves the players with questions, which will be handled in the next part of the Embers of Chaos chapter: A Search for Answers.

Thank you all again for reading along, I hope this adventure gives you a good chance to look at the world of Helus, and be sure to like this and leave any comments! If you need to find me, best way is to get onto the Airship of Awesomeness discord server!
And as always, may your own adventures be Awesome!