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The Crimson Wall: Rewriting Mulan as a D&D Adventure

Yup, It is time for another jaunt into animated mayhem with some mouse movies, kids shows or whatever and see how I can get some D&D content out of it. Last week we dived into the Lion King

interpretting the characters as humanoids. You can see the post in full here.

An empire on the edge. An undead warlord in the wastes. And a soldier who isn’t who they seem…

When duty calls and the dead rise to answer, honor must rise higher still.

Disney’s Mulan is a tale of honor, legacy, and bravery against overwhelming odds. But when recast through the lens of Dungeons & Dragons, it becomes a martial horror epic where the villain isn’t just a conqueror—but a resurrected warlord bound to a forgotten empire, and the hero must hide their identity not just from their comrades, but from death itself.

Welcome to The Crimson Wall, a tier 2–3 D&D campaign arc inspired by Mulan, where war has returned to the borderlands… and the enemy is already dead.

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⚔️ The Premise

The Empire of Yulong stands as the last bastion of civilization against the haunted wastes beyond the Crimson Wall—a massive fortification built generations ago to keep out the darkness.

But now, Warlord Xingshu the Black Phoenix, once slain in glorious battle, has returned. His eyes burn with necrotic flame, and his legion—silent, armored, tireless—is crossing the wastes again.

A conscription edict is issued: one from every household must serve. The players are newly recruited soldiers, sworn to hold the line.

And among them is Hua Min, a young woman who has taken her ailing father’s place—and must survive, fight, and rise, all while keeping her secret… and discovering the truth about the warlord’s return.

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🧟‍♂️ The Villain: Warlord Xingshu the Black Phoenix

“When I fell, the gods wept. But another voice answered from below.”

Once a noble general, Xingshu died defending the empire. But bitter betrayal and an unburied soul twisted his legacy. Now, raised by a forgotten god of war and undeath, he seeks to raze Yulong and rebuild it in his own image.

Key Traits:

• Undead general (use Death Knight or Oathbreaker Paladin base)

• Bound to a necrotic relic: the Crown of Ashes

• Can revive fallen enemies as spectral warriors to fight for him

• Seeks to burn down the empire and forge a new order of eternal discipline

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🛡️ The Campaign Structure

Act I: The Conscription

• The players are brought to Fort Bonegate, the last bastion on the border.

• They meet Captain Shen (a harsh but honorable veteran), and Hua Min, disguised as a young man.

• During a training patrol, the party discovers a caravan ambushed by undead—but there were no wounds. The dead rose without bloodshed.

• Strange sigils hint at necromantic rituals and an army gathering in the wastes.

Optional encounter: A shadow-corrupted lion spirit stalks the training camp, testing the will of potential warriors.

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Act II: The Wastes Awaken

• The players are sent beyond the wall on a scouting mission. They discover an entire village frozen in time, its people still and unmoving—neither dead nor alive.

• Xingshu’s Black Legion marches from a sunken battlefield called the Sea of Spears.

• Hua Min is forced to reveal her identity when she saves the party from a death knight ambush.

• They uncover the truth: the Crown of Ashes is being fed the spirits of the dishonored dead to fuel the legion.

Optional encounter: The Daughters of Dust, three banshee sisters who were once priestesses of the war god, offer forbidden knowledge for a price.

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Act III: The Flame Within

• The Emperor’s forces plan to abandon the Crimson Wall, retreating to protect the capital.

• The players must rally the remaining warriors and convince the spirit guardians of the land to reawaken.

• In the final battle, the players infiltrate Xingshu’s black fortress (a walking siege tower powered by spectral energy) to destroy the Crown of Ashes.

Final Battle Options:

• Destroy the crown, banishing Xingshu but unleashing a wave of vengeful spirits

• Let Hua Min bind the crown and assume its burden—becoming a Deathless Protector

• Choose to wield the crown themselves, risking corruption for power

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🧰 Loot and Magic Ideas

• Crown of Ashes (Artifact) – Grants command of undead but slowly withers the wielder’s soul

• Flame of the South Wind – A magical fan that casts Wall of Fire and Wind Wall

• Imperial Dueling Spear – +1 weapon that scores crits on 19–20 against undead

• Mask of the Fallen Warrior – Lets the wearer take on the skills of a slain foe for 1 minute

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🧭 Themes and Tone

• Honor vs Survival: The players must wrestle with duty, tradition, and change

• Identity: Hidden truths—like Hua Min’s—tie into espionage, legacy, and personal freedom

• Undeath as Legacy: Xingshu isn’t evil for power’s sake—he believes he is saving the empire

• Tactics and War: Skirmishes, battlefield choices, NPC morale, and wartime consequences

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🎖️ Final Thoughts: The True Battle Is Within

The Crimson Wall is about more than war. It’s about identity, courage, and the line between tradition and tyranny. When you frame it with D&D’s tools—undead armies, cursed relics, spirit guardians—you get a story that’s as heroic as it is haunting.

Let your players carve their names into the annals of a dying empire, challenge a warlord who once was a hero, and decide what kind of legacy they’ll leave behind.

Because in the end, it’s not magic or might that decides a kingdom’s fate… but the fire in the heart of its defenders. Next week we will look at Moana and get to the heart of the adventure.

Thanks for reading. Until Next Time, Stay Nerdy!!!