Curse of The Userper (Compressed)

Additional Shops If the characters enter the owlbear’s former stable room, read the following aloud: The straw in this room is tossed about as if in a fury of rage. Splatters of blood dot the walls, although it is clear that someone has done their best to clean them up as much as possible. The door to the stable is intact, but the back of the stable has a large hole clawed through it, wood splintered and torn in a frenzy in all directions. The baby owlbear has left the stable room in ruins, and the characters can follow clues as to where the “little dearie” might have gone. Tracks The baby owlbear has left a set of tracks leading away from the stables. Following the tracks requires a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check. On a failed check, the characters are led to the wrong section of Havdhir, or they lose the trail and have to start over. Market District The tracks lead directly into the market district, where they are no longer present due to the pacing of hundreds of creatures and the cobblestone walkways. Characters can ask around to see if anyone in the Market District has seen the baby owlbear, receiving the following information: Intelligence (Investigation) check result 5 or lower: “An owlbear in the Market District? Nope, I haven’t seen one.” 6-10: “A baby owlbear? Yeah, I saw it… nearly clawed my arm off! I called Viekiir over to try and trap it, but it was too slippery. Viekiir might be able to help you out.” 11-15: “Hmm. I did see a strange looking feathery creature running around… caused quite a stir! I believe Brong was trying to smash it… he might know more.” 16 or higher: “Yes! I saw one! It ran through the market and upset a few stalls. I think it ducked into one of the waterway gutters along the street.” Speaking with Viekiir The characters may seek out Viekiir, proprietor of “the Menagerie.” If they ask about the owlbear, read the following aloud: “Ah, yes, I tried to capture the little runt as it rushed through the streets. It would fetch a bit of coin in my menagerie. I think I heard someone saying they thought they saw it vanish in the middle of the street somewhere over there,” Viekiir says, gesturing vaguely to a segment of the Market District. Speaking with Brong The characters may seek out Brong of “Brong’s Bashy Things.” If they ask about the owlbear, read the following aloud: “Me see little fluff ball running through street. Try to smash with fist! It fast. Lost it someplace around grate to waterway over there,” Brong says, pointing in the direction of what looks like a damaged runoff grate. The owlbear is trapped in a clogged waterway access point, having crawled into one of the grates in utter terror. A pitiful crooning sound can be heard coming from the grate, and its source can be zeroed in on with a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check. If the characters spoke with Viekiir, the DC decreases to 8. If the characters spoke with Brong, they can locate the grate without having to make a Wisdom (Perception) check. If the characters can’t locate the owlbear, a street urchin offers information in exchange for coin. In this case, read the following aloud: A filthy child dressed in rags holds out a battered hat in your direction and whispers, “I heard ya were lookin’ fer an owlbear—I can tell ya where it went… but it’ll cost ya 5 silver pieces, which is fairer than fair, if’n ya asks me.” 101

102 The street urchin demands 5 silver pieces for the location of the owlbear but can be convinced to give up the information for free with a successful DC 10 Charisma (Deception, Intimidation, or Persuasion) check. When the urchin gives up the location, read the following aloud: The urchin points toward a small grate in the city street. Some of the bars are bent out of place. “It jumpded down ther’, into the waterways; but that grate’s been clogged fer ages. If it’s down ther’, it’s likely already drownded.” Waterway Gutter When the characters approach the gutter, read the following aloud: A pitiful crooning comes from the waterway gutter. Peering down into the dark, you can make out a filthy owlbear, splashing listlessly in a pool of dirty water. The creature looks up at you, calling out with a pained cry. The grate to the waterway can be lifted with a successful DC 5 Strength check. The opening is easily accessed by Small creatures but would require a Medium creature to squeeze through. The surface of the water in the grate is 30 feet down, so reaching the baby owlbear (1 Stat Block) requires jumping or climbing down. The water is 15 feet deep. Climbing out of the grate without a rope requires a successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check. When a creature attempts to enter the area, the baby owlbear becomes violent. The creature is terrified and lashes out unless it is calmed via a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check. Until the owlbear is calmed, it attempts to attack any creature it perceives as a threat within the grate. If the creature is removed from the grate, it immediately calms down and no longer attacks everything in sight. Reward If the characters successfully calm the owlbear or knock it unconscious and return it to Ferelix, she thanks them for finding the creature, allows them to keep it, and offers a 50% discount on boarding in her stables. If the characters do not wish to keep the owlbear, they could sell it to Viekiir in the Menagerie. Viekiir offers 25 gold pieces in exchange for the baby owlbear. Mourner’s Respite Mourner’s Respite is a mobile organization of healers and doctors that set up tents throughout Havdhir. The majority of the tents are set up in the Barnacle Barrows district and Market District, but they can be found anywhere in the city where disease has spread, where large-scale magical mishaps have occurred, or where other “accidents” are prevalent. When the characters come upon a Mourner’s Respite location, read the following aloud: You spy a small tent. Inside are men and women dressed in simple clothes and covered by aprons. The aprons are emblazoned with a deep blue hand reaching out to a red hand. The men and women are fiddling with various alchemical ingredients and preparing a few cots. You may use Mourner’s Respite tents to assist characters traveling through Havdhir who have suffered grievous wounds or terrible diseases. The healers of each Mourner’s Respite location can heal wounds, disease, and lift some curses for a price. The organization also provides rudimentary healing free of charge. If the characters show a healer the symbol of the curse of the Usurper or the earth key of Shjekhel, read the following aloud: The healer gives a sad sigh. “That’s nothing a simple remove curse spell will fix—it’s been tried before. If I were you I’d make sure my affairs were in order, maybe visit the temple.” Additional Shops

Additional Shops 103 Healing Rudimentary healing +1 hp (no cost, limited to once per day) Cure wounds (25 gp) Lesser restoration (50 gp) Remove curse (150 gp) Modified resurrection (special) In the event that a character dies, the character can be resurrected by the organization. However, Mourner’s Respite has only one associate capable of casting a modified resurrection spell, and they are only able to cast it once per year (though they could cast it more often at the Game Master’s discretion). The casting of the spell requires a diamond worth at least 1,000 gold pieces, which the spell consumes. The organization does not bestow this gift upon just anyone, and only characters who have attained a reputation for themselves by completing one major quest or three side quests in Havdhir would have access to this casting. In addition, they would still have to pay for the material costs of the spell. The modified resurrection spell can resurrect a creature even if its soul is not free (such as if it is trapped in the Mines of Shjekhel).

Military/Guard Outposts Military/Guard Outposts With Havdhir’s ports protected by its navy and privateers, and the city backed up to the mountains, the primary gate in and out of Havdhir leads to the realm of Ardhos: a mostly-tamed region of plains and farmland. The swamps and tangled wilds of the south are a good distance from the city. Still, the city requires fortification against roaming bandits, gnolls, orcs, or other creatures that might attempt to cross Ardhos and attack Havdhir. The primary concern is two-fold: One, if the Crimson Concordat with the vampires of Mornhaven were to be nullified, the vampires might send thralls through Ardhos to attack the city or crawl over the Fang’s Peak Mountains themselves. And two, wild lands beyond the region of Ardhos house foreign kingdoms (many of them ruled by orc warlords) which may wish to lay claim to Havdhir. Havdhir sports several barracks, where the Havdhir guards train, store weaponry, and often sleep. The largest of these (creatively called “Havdhir Barracks”) is located near the center of the city, where it can easily deploy guards to any location throughout all of Havdhir. Havdhir also has two major tower lookouts in addition to regular towers built along the wall. Goldtower (which protects against assault from the south) and Blacktower (which guards the mountains in the north). Goldtower Goldtower - Exterior A large white tower is built into the city wall. The structure is utilitarian, with angular features and classic dwarven iconography. The building is obviously ancient but has been well maintained. It is topped by a tower painted gold that glints in the daylight. The structure is built right next to the city gate, and you can see scores of guards standing watch about the tower or moving from it onto the city walls and vice versa. Goldtower was constructed as a military base to overlook the gate out of Havdhir as well as keep watch for trouble brewing to the south. Goldtower is built into the walls of Havdhir beside the main city gate. For travelers to Havdhir that come by land, they will see Goldtower first, extending above the wall of the city. As such, the tower is well-maintained, serving as a symbol of Havdhir’s strength and wealth. Goldtower Entrance This robust tower has a heavy stone door set in the front of it with two guards, one standing on either side. Rules about who’s allowed entrance to the tower are strictly enforced since Goldtower serves as the primary lookout for danger from the south. The entrance is protected by 2 veterans. Characters may be able to convince the Triumvirate to let them enter the tower, or they might be able to convince the guards outside to let them in with a successful DC 18 Charisma (Deception, Intimidation or Persuasion) check. Characters have disadvantage on checks made to convince the guards. The door to the tower is made of solid stone and has no lock. It is opened when the guard on the outside performs a series of knocks for the guard inside to open the door, activating a system of pulleys that allows the heavy doors to be moved. Goldtower - Interior Goldtower has a wide set of stone stairs that traverses up its square structure, with landings at each corner interval. Guards patrol the stairs regularly. Goldtower Top Reaching the top of the tower, you stare out over the city and beyond. From here you can see for miles to the plains of Ardhos, across the whole of Havdhir to the ports, and out to sea. The sight is awe-inspiring. Several guards keep a silent vigil on all sides of the tower, and a small pool rests at the center of the tower with a raised wall about as high as your waist encircling it. The Pool The pool is specially enchanted. A creature spending an hour to become attuned to it can use the pool to cast the arcane eye spell with a range of 15 miles once per day. The creature’s attunement ends when it leaves the tower. 104

Military/Guard Outposts 105

Side Quest: Burning Bugbears (deadly at 3rd level or below) At a time of the Game Master’s choosing, read the following aloud: A tired-looking elf dressed in a highranking captain’s uniform is hunched over the pool. “Not now! I’m tracking the course of those bugbears coming in from the south… They are getting dangerously close to trade routes that feed into the city… but the Triumvirate won’t believe me… not after last time…” Arbus Quensel, an elf captain, is in charge of using the enchanted pool to watch the lands of Ardhos just outside of Havdhir, spotting trouble before it occurs. Roleplaying Arbus Quensel Arbus has been seeing more and more frequent bugbear activity outside of Havdhir, but staring into the enchanted pool for so long and looking for trouble has made him paranoid. So much so, that he has reported more than one false claim of roving bands moving toward Havdhir. In fact, his position is in jeopardy, with the Triumvirate voting in the coming weeks on whether or not he should remain in charge of observing events in the enchanted pool. Arbus Quensel (1 Stat Block) is a lawful good elf. If the characters express any interest in the activity outside of the wall, Arbus asks the characters to venture outside the city gate into the plains of Ardhos and deal with the bugbears he saw camping out in a small grove. If the characters agree, Arbus offers to use the capabilities of the pool to spy on a creature or see a location of the characters’ choice for a limited time. Bugbear Grove The grove of the bugbears’ encampment is roughly 12 miles from the main city gate. It would take the characters 3 hours to reach the grove at a fast pace, 4 hours at a normal pace, or 6 hours at a slow pace. As the characters approach the grove, read the following aloud: You spy smoke in the distance—a great plume of black that rises into the air. The grove Arbus described has come into view, and great fires appear to be raging within it. Hairy Humanoids are fleeing from the flames. One wears a suit of dark black armor emblazoned with a flame, is shouting at the other bugbears, and is frantically gesturing for them to return. Most of the creatures are fleeing across the open fields around the grove, but a handful remain with this figure. The bugbears have been massing in large numbers within the grove, preparing to attack some of the settlements of Ardhos in the south. They have traveled from all over to join in the ranks of their leader, “the Dragon”: a bugbear capable of breathing forth great bursts of fire, supposedly due to a draconic father. The Dragon was also in possession of a powerful item: a wand of fireballs, which he commonly used to show off his incredible abilities. Bolstered by the cheers of his swelling ranks, the Dragon accidentally expended the last use of the wand, causing it to crumble into ashes. With his followers growing in number, the Dragon had to think fast about how to show off his might after the failed demonstration with the wand of fireballs. He began recklessly breathing forth flames, setting fire to great swaths of the grove, accidentally destroying the bugbear campsites in his careless pride. The bugbears residing in the grove are now fleeing in all directions, attempting to escape the burning grove. 106 Military/Guard Outposts

Military/Guard Outposts Roleplaying “the Dragon” The Dragon is a massive bugbear with dark black fur and a penchant for extreme displays of violence and power. He will see the arrival of the characters as a way to potentially bolster his troops. He will move in to attack them with his posse in an attempt to assert dominance and instill courage in the bugbears fleeing the fire he has created. The Dragon (1 Stat Block) is a chaotic evil bugbear. Bugbear Attack If the Dragon spots the characters, read the following aloud: The massive bugbear points in your direction. His form is silhouetted by the flames behind him which are quickly extending beyond the grove. He calls out in a guttural voice to his troops, and his posse spring into action, gripping their morningstars and roaring as they charge toward you. 2 bugbears and the Dragon attempt to slay the characters. An additional 3 bugbears are fleeing the scene. As an action, a character can convince one of the fleeing bugbears to join the fight on the characters’ side with a successful DC 18 Charisma (Deception, Intimidation, or Persuasion) check. As an action, the Dragon can convince one of the fleeing bugbears to join the fight on the Dragon’s side with a successful DC 14 Charisma (Deception, Intimidation, or Persuasion) check. Loot Bugbears 14 sp Map of small hamlets in Ardhos with scribbled notes on defenses and weaknesses (worthless) The Dragon Manifesto: A crumbled book filled with insane scribbling and rudimentary illustrations, the book tells the story of the Dragon from his perspective, which foretells him to be the eventual ruler of all bugbears. (worthless) Crumbled ashes that flicker with arcane energy. A DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check reveals these to be the ashes of a wand of some kind, likely related to evocation magic. (worthless) Returning to Arbus If the characters confirm that Arbus was correct in his estimations regarding the bugbears, he is ecstatic: It just might help to show that he is mentally stable enough to keep his position. He immediately begins formulating a draft of various other sightings of “suspicious” activities to take to the Triumvirate and present at the hearing. Reward Arbus agrees to cast arcane eye using the pool on behalf of the characters. 107

108 Military/Guard Outposts Bugbear Grove Key D Dragon B Bugbear Warrior E Party Entrance anywhere in the dark area 1 Square = 5ft. D B B B B B E

Military/Guard Outposts 109

110 Military/Guard Outposts Blacktower A skinny tower constructed of dark stone reaches toward the sky. The tower is built into the side of the mountain with a low wall connecting to it and running along a few outcroppings of stone, creating a mostly natural barrier. The tower is topped by a wooden lookout area and is covered in black shingles that are rotted with age. A rickety, wooden ladder extends from the ground to a small lookout point—a pitiful defensive structure to be sure. A gnome clad in a Havdhir guard captain’s uniform stares tirelessly from the tower directly at the stony mountains. A large blow horn is affixed to the lookout area, obviously meant as a signal in case of a threat. Blacktower was built to guard against an unlikely vampire assault from the mountains to the north. Blacktower is built partially into the mountains on the northernmost stretches of Havdhir. The Crimson Concordat with the vampires of Mornhaven has lasted several centuries, and there is no reason to believe the vampires would attack Havdhir. Therefore, Blacktower has fallen into a state of disrepair and is afforded with few soldiers to guard what most view as a mountain range far too treacherous to cross. The tower is patrolled by Captain Silford Viddle, a lone gnome commander. Because the primary concern coming over the mountains is vampires and their ilk, Captain Viddle usually sleeps during the day and keeps watch at night. He has requested additional troops to guard the mountains several times, but all his efforts have been in vain. Roleplaying Captain Silford Viddle Captain Viddle has a habit of staring past people when he is talking to them, or looking about as if scanning for something suspicious. He is paranoid after losing a brother to a vampire attack in the Barnacle Barrows district when he was a child. Captain Viddle is tired of being treated like a secondrate captain by the rest of the guard, and he feels his duty is an important one… even if no one else does. Captain Silford Viddle (1 Stat Block) is a neutral evil gnome. Side Quest: A Night in Blacktower (deadly at 1st level) Lately, Captain Viddle hatched a plan to earn the respect of the rest of the Havdhir guard. He has set up a contraption that will release a large kite from within the mountains that has been made to look like a Humanoid with bat-like wings, which will rise up and then be lowered back into a hiding place. He has been waiting to hire some hapless saps in the hopes that they will sound the alarm. Once they do so, Captain Viddle plots to kill them before the rest of the guard arrives and blame their deaths on a vampire (with Captain Viddle being the only survivor of the “attack”). If the characters interact with Captain Silford Viddle, read the following aloud: The gnome sighs, “No one thinks Blacktower is worth the resources to keep it going, but I know we protect against the evils present in and across those mountains…mark my words! Say, I had one of my guards fall sick with sea lung: Would you be able to take on guard duty tonight? I’ll pay you 5 gold pieces each; 10 gold pieces each if you spot anything. Just be sure to sound the alarm if you see anything. Two blows for a vampiric-looking creature, three for anything else.” Characters may attempt a Wisdom (Insight) check opposed by Captain Viddle’s Charisma (Deception) check to determine that he is lying. He does not have any other troops under his command. If the characters succeed on their check by 5 or more, they can tell that Captain Viddle is a VERY suspicious character.

Military/Guard Outposts 111 If Captain Viddle is caught in a lie, he will ask the characters to make a plea on his behalf to the Triumvirate requesting more troops, promising them 10 gold pieces each if they succeed. If they do, Captain Viddle does not move forward with his devious plan, and the side quest is considered completed, so long as the characters are able to convince the Triumvirate to send more troops to Blacktower. Spending the Night in the Tower You stand atop Blacktower, the structure seeming to sway in the breeze. Hours go by without anything interesting occurring… until, suddenly, you spy a dark figure rising up out of the mountains, silhouetted by the moon. The creature has a Humanoid shape but bat-like wings. If the characters sound the alarm, read the following aloud: After a few moments you hear a huff of breath as Captain Viddle clambers up onto the platform. “Thanks for sounding the alarm!” he calls, catching his breath before slowly drawing his sword, glaring at you with a cold glint in his eye. “You’ve served your purpose,” he says, swinging the sword viciously at you, the blade flashing in the cold moonlight. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, the characters are surprised during the first round of combat. If the characters do not sound the alarm, read the following aloud: After a few moments, you hear a huff of breath as Captain Viddle clambers up onto the platform. “Any problems? Watching the mountains?” he asks, glaring at you meaningfully. Captain Viddle will attempt to convince the characters to sound the alarm, or he will sound it himself before attempting to kill the characters. In either of these cases, it is very likely the characters know something is off. Arrival of the Guard Havdhir guards (1 Stat Block) arrive 5 minutes after the horn is sounded (if applicable). The number of guards is up to the discretion of the Game Master. If the characters are fighting Captain Viddle, he will claim they are under the influence of a vampire’s charms, and the characters may be hard-pressed to convince the guards otherwise. If Captain Viddle is dead and the characters are still in the area, they may need to attempt to explain his death to the guard or hide the body lest they be suspected of murder. Wrapping Up Loose Ends If Captain Viddle is taken alive, he can be brought to the Havdhir guard or the Triumvirate for questioning and dispensation of justice. The characters may be able to persuade the guard or the Triumvirate to give them a reward for uncovering Captain Viddle’s plot or for bringing him to justice. If asked for a reward, either party will pay each character 10 gold pieces. The characters may search the area in the mountains that the “vampire” came from. A successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals the following: You spy a large kite, affixed with intricate ropes and gears. The kite is fashioned in the shape of a Humanoid with batlike wings, and it appears to have a mechanized system that releases the kite and then pulls it back in automatically. Loot Captain Viddle Small diary in which Captain Viddle has recorded his plot (worthless) DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check in the mountains Faux vampire kite (10 gp) (1 Item)

112 Military/Guard Outposts Black Tower Key SVCaptain Silford Viddle 1 Rickety Ladder 2 Dwarven Horn 3 Party Start 1 Square = 5ft. SV 2 3 1

Havdhir Barracks Near to the center of the city, a large stone building inset with metal filigree stands tall, casting a long shadow over the smaller buildings surrounding it. The edifice is built in a strong, angular fashion. Humanoids dressed in blue uniforms that are trimmed with gold march about, and many uniformed guards are training in a small yard in front of the building, which must be a barracks of some kind. Havdhir guards (1 Stat Block) train, sleep, and eat in the Havdhir Barracks, which is located near the center of the city. Characters wishing to pay a fine imposed for breaking the law, clear their names, report a crime, or otherwise engage with the guard of Havdhir are directed to the barracks. The barracks is composed of 4 levels with an exterior training area. Training Area Various training dummies are set about an open cobblestone area with sacks of grain positioned for the guards to practice jumping, dodging attacks, and launching attacks of their own. The training area is primarily used by the guard, but civilians are also permitted to test their skills and to train using the facilities. Characters wishing to hone their skills may spend some time practicing with the dummies. Training for at least 1 hour grants advantage for the next 24 hours on all Strength (Athletics) checks and Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks. 1st Floor: Legal Issues If the characters enter the Havdhir Barracks, read the following aloud: A dwarf dressed in a meticulously maintained guard’s uniform sits behind a desk that’s piled high with papers. Behind him is a single open door that leads up a set of stairs that goes deeper into the barracks. The man looks up from his papers, frowning at you as you walk in. “Unless you are here to tell me where this damned Marigold ship went, I do NOT want to hear it,” the man grumbles, flapping a piece of paper depicting a ship with “Missing” stamped on it in large, black lettering. Vlaskor is a guard captain serving the people of Havdhir, primarily from behind his desk. Roleplaying Vlaskor Vlaskor deals with many of the legal disputes, sentencing of criminals, and general keeping of law and order in Havdhir for matters not deemed worthy of the Triumvirate’s attention. Vlaskor speaks in an exasperated tone and is prone to breathlessness and shouting. He has a habit of twisting his beard and mustache in frustration, and, because of this, often looks haggard in appearance… even though his clothes are meticulously kept. Vlaskor (1 Stat Block) is a lawful good dwarf. Loot Apart from legal papers, unsigned charters, and the occasional wanted poster; there is nothing of value in this room. But a clever character could potentially steal some legal papers to forge—such as papers for the release of a prisoner or amnesty for a particular crime. Creating a passable forgery requires a successful DC 15 Intelligence check. Havdhir Barracks 113

Major Quest: Vrehnor Isle (deadly at 1st level) Recently, Vlaskor received a report of a missing frigate, the Marigold, sailing off toward Vrehnor Isle. With resources tight in preparation for an upcoming transport of prisoners to Mornhaven, Vlaskor does not have the manpower to deal with the situation himself. If the characters offer to help, Vlaskor asks them to seek out the ship, offering to do them a favor if they manage to find it. He grants the characters a hiring-charter for a small vessel to sail to Vrehnor Isle. Vlaskor directs the characters to the Havdhir Notary to officiate the charter and commission their vessel. If the characters have already determined the fate of the Marigold prior to meeting Vlaskor, he asks for some form of proof or a detailed description of the ship in order to confirm the veracity of the information. Reward A favor from Vlaskor, determined by the Game Master. This favor could be sending a guard to help the characters investigate something, forgive a minor criminal offense, or another appropriate reward. 2nd Floor: Mess Hall You ascend the stone steps, entering a chamber lined with tables that are absolutely laden with food. A small, open side chamber serves as a kitchen, where you notice a large pot sitting atop a small wood-burning stove. A few guards mill about the hall, some chatting and eating, a few ladling soup out of the pot over which an anxious-looking gnome dressed in a chef’s apron labors. You can see the guards grimace as they take a bite of the soup, and the gnome turns away, red-faced. A single door leads out and up, farther into the barracks. 5 Havdhir guards (1 Stat Block) are eating in the mess hall while Svelvhar the gnome cook prepares a not-so-delicious meal. Roleplaying the Guards If the characters interact with the guards, they respond either by commenting about the poor quality of the soup and how they “wish Svelvhar would get some help cooking” or by asking what the characters are doing in the guards’ mess hall: “We don’t do hand-outs here. We work hard enough keeping vagrants off the streets without having to feed them, too.” Roleplaying Svelvhar Svelvhar is a gnome guard who has had one too many accidents while on the job and has been relegated to cooking duties for the mess hall. Svelvhar talks in a jovial voice, though his recent failures have dampened his usually optimistic spirit. He wears a large chef’s hat and a stained apron over top of his guard’s uniform. He frequently uses a small stepping stool to work over his concoctions simmering on the stove. Svelvhar (1 Stat Block) is a neutral good gnome. Side Quest: Helping with Svelvhar’s Soup Svelvhar has actually been enjoying his new job, even if it is a demotion. He desperately wishes that he were a better cook. If the characters address him regarding his soup, or at a time of the Game Master’s choosing, he asks for their assistance in fixing it (to be sure, it is palatable for the other guards; Svelvhar insists that this particular group are picky eaters). Characters who wish to help Svelvhar with his soup can assist by making an Intelligence (Nature) check to determine the appropriate seasoning available in the mess hall or in the characters’ possession and determine any other additions needed to make the soup more tasty. The result of the check determines how tasty the soup becomes as well as the reward from Svelvhar. 114 Havdhir Barracks

115 Alternatively, characters could make the soup so utterly disgusting that it causes everyone who eats it to become sick, gaining the poisoned condition and having their speeds halved as they gag and retch all over the floor. This could be done by accidentally rolling incredibly low or by purposefully filling the soup with disgusting ingredients such as dead rats, bits of ghoul, flasks of urine, etc. Intelligence (Nature) checks to concoct a tasty soup. Intelligence (Nature) check result of 5 or lower: The soup is terrible and causes everyone who eats it to become sick. Svelvhar is distraught and does not offer any form of reward. Intelligence (Nature) check result of 6-10: The soup is barely passable and has not really improved in flavor. Svelvhar is disappointed, but thanks the characters for at least trying and offers them a small sack of spices (4 cp). Intelligence (Nature) check result of 11-15: The soup is decent. No one grimaces when they eat it. Svelvhar is satisfied and offers the characters a copper pot in thanks (4 gp). Intelligence (Nature) check result of 16-19: The soup is very good. Everyone who tastes it compliments the complex flavors. Svelvhar is happy with the results and offers to allow the characters to select a single item from the armory as payment for their services (this offer does not include the Hammer of Havdhir). Intelligence (Nature) check result of 20 or higher: The soup is superb. So good, in fact, that word of it quickly travels around the city, and the characters may be asked to cook when they enter taverns or homes. Svelvhar is ecstatic and offers the characters free meals whenever they want them, offers to cover one of their fines (totaling no more than 50 gold pieces) if the characters ever “get in trouble with the law,” or offers to allow them to borrow the Hammer of Havdhir (located in the armory). Loot 7x Bowl of soup (1 cp each) Pot filled with soup, which can serve up to 10 bowls. The value of each bowl depends on the checks made by the characters to enhance the soup. Intelligence (Nature) check result of 5 or lower: (worthless) Intelligence (Nature) check result of 6-10: (1 cp each) Intelligence (Nature) check result of 11-15: (5 cp each) Intelligence (Nature) check result of 16-19: (5 sp each) Intelligence (Nature) check result of 20 or higher: (1 gp each) 3rd Floor: Armory 2 Havdhir guards (1 Stat Block) stand on either side of the door, ensuring no one but a Havdhir guard or someone accompanied by a guard enters the armory. The door to the armory is locked, and only guards have the key to this room (though a key could be stolen off of a guard with a successful DC 12 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check, or the characters could be allowed into the room by Svelvhar as a reward for creating a very good soup). A creature using thieves’ tools can pick the lock with a successful DC 18 Dexterity check. The door has AC 17 and 15 hp. Breaking down the door almost assuredly creates enough noise to draw the attention of several guards. Anyone caught tampering with the door or stealing items from the armory is prosecuted to the full extent of Havdhirian law. If the characters enter the armory, read the following aloud: The chamber is dimly lit by a smoldering torch that casts flickering shadows along rows and rows of weapons and uniforms. A plaque with a massive hammer made of blue metal and decorated with gold hangs on the far wall, just over a doorway leading farther into the barracks. The inscription beneath the hammer reads, “Be ye friend of Havdhir pass below; if not, ye shall feel the hammer’s blow.” The poem is in reference to punishment for those who enter the chamber beyond unlawfully, with the Hammer of Havdhir animating and alerting guards to the presence of interlopers. The hammer was a gift from Svelvhar’s grandfather, given to him when he joined the city guard to help protect him and his fellow guardsmen. Since he is the owner of the hammer, Svelvhar can allow characters to borrow the hammer or can gift it to them indefinitely. If a creature other than Svelvhar touches the Hammer of Havdhir while the hammer is on the plaque, the creature must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or fall unconscious for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw Havdhir Barracks

Havdhir Barracks at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. In addition, the hammer generates an ear-splitting alarm that can be heard by all guards that are in the barracks or who are training outside. If a creature enters the armory unlawfully and attempts to walk beneath the hammer into the guards’ sleeping chambers, the Hammer of Havdhir (1 Stat Block) animates and attacks. While animated, the hammer generates a constant, ear-splitting alarm. Loot Hammer of Havdhir (uncommon) (1 Item) 5x Crossbow bolts (20) (1 gp each) 3x Havdhir guard’s uniform (50 gp each) (1 Item) 2x Light crossbow (25 gp each) 5x Shield (10 gp each) 5x Warhammer (15 gp each) 4th Floor: Sleeping Chambers If the characters enter the Sleeping Chambers, read the following aloud: This chamber is filled with rows of cots, each with a simple trunk at the foot of the bed. If the characters have entered without alerting any guards, 2 Havdhir guards (1 Stat Block) and Garren Dirth are sleeping in the chamber. Otherwise, all three are awake and are likely prepared to face some form of foe. There are 10 cots in the room, each with a simple trunk at its foot. Guards usually spend time in the barracks to rest between long shifts—most own or rent their own homes elsewhere in the city. A few less affluent guards use the barracks as their home, but these are usually newly-initiated guards who have not accumulated enough wealth to purchase homes or apartments of their own. Each of the 10 trunks in the room holds the belongings of an on-duty guard—primarily foodstuffs and personal items that they’ve accumulated during their shifts. Roleplaying Garren Dirth Garren is middle-aged and has black hair speckled with gray. He has green, searching eyes and usually sports a coy smile. Garren is a corrupt guard that commonly steals from convicts, engages in blackmailing, and enjoys the odd bit of racketeering. He has close ties to the Grifter’s Guild and could be pressed for information about the guild. He is the guard that stole Terra’s locket. He has stored it in one of the trunks in this room. Garren Dirth (1 Stat Block) is a neutral evil human. 116

117 Loot None of the trunks are locked (except for Garren’s) since the guards have faith in the safeguards of the barracks and the trustworthiness of the other guards to protect their belongings. Searching the trunks reveals the following: Trunk #1: Cheese hunk (1 sp) Bread loaf (2 cp) Common bottle of wine (1 sp) Trunk #2: Dagger (2 gp) Trunk #3: Small journal of poetry (worthless, but if read aloud in the barracks, results in one particular guard turning a deep shade of red and storming off, embarrassed) Trunk #4: Report revealing pit fighting activity taking place in Morvin’s Sorrow fighting pits. Most of the report has been blacked out. (worthless) Trunk #5: Records from several of Erwin the Undertaker’s friends, stating that Erwin is “not the same man” and “something fishy has been going on with him at the cemetery.” (worthless) Trunk #6: Common clothes (5 sp) Trunk #7: 3 gp Crumpled note reading, “For your help with our little problem - The Grifter’s Guild.” Trunk #8: Cartographer’s tools (15 gp) Tear-stained note reading, “For your studies. I hope you can soon become a true cartographer and escape the dangerous life as a guard that pays for your education.” Trunk #9: Prayer beads (none of them magical) (5 sp) Garren’s Trunk: A creature using thieves’ tools can open the lock with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check. The trunk can also be smashed open. It has AC 15, 3 hp, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. Inside is a tarnished locket with a painting of a half-orc man and child with the inscription “Terra’s Lovelies.” (5 sp) This locket can be given to Terra in the Market District to convince her to craft a blacksmith’s apron for Brong. (See the side quest “Deeds for a Discount” on pages 80-82.) Still-Echo Prison Still-Echo Prison serves as the primary destination for criminals caught by the guard in Havdhir and is located on the north side of the city, near the mountains. The prison itself is a pit with interconnecting tunnels in which gangs of criminals have built their own society beneath Havdhir. For detailed information about Still-Echo Prison see the Innocent in Still-Echo supplemental book. Havdhir Barracks

118 Major Quests Major Quests

Major Quests 119

Vrehnor Isle Vrehnor Isle In “Vrehnor Isle,” the characters can seek out a pirate’s buried treasure, braving the dangers of the island to find this fabled gold. Upon landing on the island, the characters encounter Captain Bharros the Brave and his crew of kobolds which recently crashed on the island. The characters can side with Bharros and his crew, or decide to seek out the treasure on their own. The island is filled with traps meant to protect the treasure and the treasure itself is guarded by skeletons within a cave on the island. If the characters can survive the trials of the island, they might just come away rich! This quest is designed for characters of 2nd or 3rd level. It would be deadly for characters of 1st level. How the Characters Become Involved Characters might become involved in the events surrounding the “Vrehnor Isle” quest in a number of ways; a few options are provided here: • The characters find Captain Marrow’s map to the treasure and seek it out. • The characters interact with John Mason and follow his copy of the treasure map. • The characters interact with Vlaskor and seek out his missing ship, the Marigold. Few venture to Vrehnor Isle. Rumors of Undead pirates that roam the area fend off most would-be travelers, but a few do come to the island every now and then, seeking buried treasure. Few return, and none return with treasure in tow, which has led to fewer and fewer people making the trip to the small island. Vrehnor Isle You near the island in your vessel as the waves lap lazily at the sides of your ship. The air is cold and wet, and a heavy mist hangs over the island. As you approach, you spy a wrecked ship close to the shoreline with small reptilian creatures running about it. The Wrecked Keelhaul Marauder The kobolds of the Keelhaul Marauder are a small band of self-proclaimed pirates who are determined to prove themselves as terrors of the sea. After many failed attempts at piracy, the kobolds did finally manage to steal a frigate and sail it away from Havdhir only to wreck the ship a few days later on the rocky shores of Vrehnor Isle. When the characters approach the ruined ship, read the following aloud: The ruins of this ship are scattered about the stony beach. The ship itself is a mess of splintered wood and torn canvas. Upon closer investigation, the reptilian creatures rushing about appear to be kobolds dressed in oversized naval gear, and they seem to be attempting to repair the doomed vessel, dragging bits of wood and scraps of the ship back toward the mostly flooded frigate. On the back of the ship, you can make out a name embossed in gold: Marigold. However, the name has mostly been scratched away, and another name has been painted over it with gaudy red paint: Keelhaul Marauder. A kobold dressed in a ridiculously oversized captain’s hat is standing atop the ruined ship, shouting orders to the creatures below: “Hoist the sail ports! Swab the mizzen masts! Plank the stern!” The kobolds rushing about seem to respond to these nonsense orders in kind, running around in circles and accomplishing next to nothing. Roleplaying Captain Bharros and His Crew The kobolds are apprehensive of anyone approaching their ship (having heard all manner of rumors about Undead and ghosts of pirates roaming the island). They may be willing to listen to the characters if they approach nonviolently or offer to assist in repairing the ship. The kobolds are led by “Captain” Bharros the Brave, who discovered a guide through the traps of a pirate’s treasure on Vrehnor Isle, and (having always had a deep love of the sea and adventure) set out to recruit like-minded kobolds to join his “crew.” 120

Vrehnor Isle Captain Bharros has no naval experience to speak of, but he tries his best to pretend like he does, shouting, “Raise the anchor sail!” and, “Starboard to backward, ye scurvy blink dogs!” Captain Bharros is willing to offer assistance on the island, acting as a guide through the treasure’s traps in exchange for a share of the treasure. He and his crew are willing to join forces against the Undead on the island for a cut of the loot. Captain Bharros wears a massive captain’s hat, adorned with many medals and random shiny objects that he’s found. He speaks with a heavy accent that he believes sounds “pirate-y” and wears an eyepatch he does not need, scratching underneath it occasionally. Captain Bharros the Brave (1 Stat Block) and Captain Bharros’s crew members (1 Stat Block) are chaotic neutral kobolds. Loot Captain Bharros Enchanted wand of magic missiles (uncommon). The wand is currently enchanted so that no one besides Captain Bharros can use it, but a character succeeding on a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check and spending 3 hours chanting the appropriate arcane phrase over the wand removes the enchantment, causing the wand to become an ordinary wand of magic missiles. Captain’s hat and outfit (15 gp) Pipe that blows bubbles (2 gp) Vrehnor Isle trap guide (5 sp) Eyepatch (1 cp) Kobold Crew (The crew has the following items split amongst the 5 kobolds.) 10 sp Pair of gloves stained with blood (1 sp) Set of dice (1 sp) Empty flask (2 cp) Small tin cup (2 cp) Hardtack (1 cp) Turnip (1 cp) Whetstone (1 cp) Dead mouse (worthless) Island Traps The island is littered with traps left by Captain Marrow during his years operating outside the law (and without the trap guide to prompt his memory, Marrow no longer remembers the locations of the traps). All of the traps are located en route to the treasure. If the characters do not have a map, they are unlikely to find the treasure, but they will almost certainly stumble into one or more of the traps on the island. If the characters have Captain Bharros’s trap guide, they will find that each trap has a clue to how to avoid it. Characters can attempt to decipher these riddles to avoid Captain Marrow’s traps. Alternatively, you may decide that the clues give the characters advantage on spotting or avoiding the traps. Quicksand Trap When the characters near the quicksand trap, read the following aloud: You spy an open swath of sand on the island with foliage creeping around it. The path before you is clear, leading across the sand deeper into the isle. A successful DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check or a passive Perception of 10 or higher lets a creature spot the quicksand trap. 121

122 Vrehnor Isle

Vrehnor Isle 123 If a character spots the trap, read the following aloud: As you watch, a small lizard scrambles onto the open sand, sinking almost immediately below the surface. It is clear that this swath of sand before you is, in fact, quicksand. The quicksand pit has a diameter of 30 feet and is 15 feet deep. The trap can easily be avoided by walking around it, flying or jumping over it, or any other method that would avoid placing weight onto the sand. The quicksand is considered difficult terrain. A creature that walks into the quicksand must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or become restrained by the quicksand and sink 1d6 feet at the end of its turn. It sinks an additional 1d3 feet at the end of each of its turns after that, until it either escapes the quicksand or hits the bottom of the quicksand pit, 15 feet below ground level. A creature whose head has sunk more than 1 foot under the quicksand is unable to breathe and must hold its breath. A creature can hold its breath for a number of minutes equal to 1 + its Constitution modifier (minimum of 30 seconds). When a creature runs out of breath, it can survive for a number of rounds equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 round). At the start of its next turn, it drops to 0 hit points, is dying, and can’t regain hit points or be stabilized until it can breathe again. A creature can escape from the quicksand by using its action to make a successful Strength check. The DC is equal to 5 plus the number of feet the creature has sunk. Alternatively, another creature who can reach the stuck creature, or who provides a rope or other item for it to grab, can pull it out by using its action to make a successful Strength check. The DC is equal to 5 plus the number of feet the creature has sunk. Captain Bharros’s trap guide clue: “Trust not the earth beneath your feet— It’s ever-shifting sand. And when you find the swath near trees, Don’t tread upon that land.” Loot There is nothing of value in this area. Fearful Visage Trap Captain Marrow has rigged up his former first mate by paying a mage that was on board to cover the body with fearful runes so that it might frighten away any that would venture on the path to his treasure. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check or a passive Perception of 15 or higher lets a creature spot the rigging holding the skeletal sailor in a nearby tree. After that, it’s easy to cut the sailor down or avoid the nearby tripwire. If the characters are unable to spot or avoid this trap, read the following aloud: The rotted body of a sailor swings from the branches of a nearby tree. A cackling sound issues from its decaying corpse. Burning orbs of light shine from the sailor’s eyes—which stare deeply into yours—and arcane runes are carved onto its old, dry bones. It is clear this corpse lacks consciousness, but something in its eyes causes a chill to run down your spine. Each creature that beholds this horrid visage must succeed on a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until it leaves the island or some other spell or effect removes the frightened condition. A creature frightened in this way is considered frightened of Undead and thus cannot willingly move closer to Undead. Each time the creature that’s been frightened by this trap sees a new type of Undead creature (such as a skeleton or zombie), it can repeat its saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Captain Bharros’s trap guide clue: “40 paces to the north be where I rigged up my first mate, Carved his bones with runes to warn others of his fate. Step lively or you’ll stumble upon the hidden cord, And my first mate will tumble, like a cackling, horrid ward.”

Loot There is nothing of value in this area. Snake Pit When the characters near this trap, read the following aloud: A large cave mouth yawns, open and ominous, roughly 15 feet ahead of you. A steady trickle of water drips from stalactites like salivating fangs in an open mouth. A frayed rope hangs from a nearby tree branch within arm’s reach. A simple pit in front of the cave holds a macabre secret. Captain Marrow purchased many exotic creatures on his journeys, including a horde of poisonous snakes that he placed in a pit to guard the path to his treasure. The snakes feed on small animals that fall within the pit and occasionally climb to the surface when food is scarce. The hole of this pit is covered by a large cloth that’s anchored on the pit’s corners and camouflaged with dirt and debris. A successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check or a passive Perception of 10 or higher lets a creature spot the pit. The pit lies directly in front of the entrance to the Pirate Cave but can be crossed by jumping or swinging over it. A creature with a Strength ability score of 15 or higher that moves at least 10 feet before making a long jump can clear the pit with ease. The frayed rope hanging near the pit can be used to swing over it and into the cave. A successful DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check allows a creature to swing over the pit and into the cave mouth. Once the rope is used to swing over, it swings back toward the other side of the pit and may be caught with a successful DC 8 Dexterity check. If the rope is not caught, it dangles over the center of the pit. A creature that fails a check to swing over the pit falls in. A creature stepping or falling onto the cloth falls through and pulls the cloth down into the pit, taking 2d6 bludgeoning damage from the fall. The pit has a diameter of 15 feet, a depth of 20 feet, and has 5 poisonous snakes slithering at the bottom. If a creature falls in the pit, read the following aloud: You plummet into a dark, dank pit, tangled in cloth and debris. The pit is roughly 15 feet across by 20 feet deep. The pit walls are fairly rough but slippery. A creature can climb toward the pit’s mouth with a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check. Loot There is nothing of value in this area. Pirate Cave The yawning mouth of this cave lies open, though not inviting, and darkness stretches before you. Characters with a light source or darkvision can see the following: The cave is shallow, opening into a small chamber dripping with water. Six skeletons dressed in pirate regalia sit against the walls around the cave, and there are dried stains on the wall where blood dripped down to where the skeletons now rest, indicating that they met an untimely demise. Some of the skeletons have shuffling marks in the earth before them, as if they have dragged themselves from their resting places several times. At the center of the room, there is a patch of sand and earth in the middle of the stone area where a lone shovel, rusted with age, has been cast aside. Characters who don’t have a light source and cannot see in the dark are unable to see what lies in this chamber, but when the dead awake, they are able to hear the menacing rattle of bones and spy the glowing eyes of the skeletons within the cave. When a character enters the room or attacks one of the skeletons, convey the following to characters who can see: The skeletal sailors turn their heads toward you, their bones creaking with age. Dust and spider webs fall from jaws that open in silent screams as each one stands. They hold rusted swords that swing idly in their bony hands as they shamble toward you. 124 Vrehnor Isle

Vrehnor Isle These are the skeletons of the sailors that Captain Marrow killed to hide the location of his treasure after they buried it for him. The spirits of these sailors rose from the dead, their souls bound to their bodies by their refusal to abandon the treasure that they worked so hard for. These skeletons are able to form short phrases and remember bits and pieces of the betrayal of their captain. Roleplaying the Skeletons Characters may be able to convince the skeletons not to attack them, but checks made to attempt to convince the skeletons to give up or let the characters take the treasure are made with disadvantage. If anyone touches the treasure without first gaining the skeletons’ permission, the skeletons immediately attack. As a ritual, the characters can read the soul-freeing tome (found in the Captain’s Quarters in the prologue, “Tavernsbane Freighter”) to free the souls of the skeletons, which causes them to no longer be animated. It takes 5 minutes to complete the reading of the ritual, and the skeletons must be able to hear the ritual being read. 6 skeletons occupy the cave. The Treasure The treasure is buried roughly 10 feet down. A creature with a shovel, burrowing ability, or appropriate magic can reach the chest. When a character uncovers the chest, read the following aloud: You brush the dirt and small stones aside, unearthing a small chest made of polished redwood. A heavy padlock in the shape of a skull is affixed to this chest. The key to the chest can be found in the secret chamber of the Captain’s Quarters in the “Tavernsbane Freighter” adventure. A creature using thieves’ tools can pick the lock with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check. The chest has AC 15, 10 hp, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. The chest is trapped. If the check to open the lock fails, the trap is triggered. If the chest is broken open, the trap is triggered. 125

Captain Marrow’s Trap Captain Marrow has laid a clever trap on his hidden chest, ensuring protection against robbers. If the trap is triggered by a failed attempt to pick the lock, the trap spews forth acid at the creature attempting to open it. The creature must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the trap is triggered by the chest being broken open, canisters filled with gas are lit by a small sparking device within the chest, exploding in a 30-foot-radius sphere. Each creature in that area must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw, taking 16 (3d10) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. This eruption cracks, melts, or warps all items inside the chest, rendering the magic items inside entirely useless; the non magical items lose half their usual value and the coins inside are scattered around the area. Characters can easily recover half the coins, but finding the other half requires a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check. Loot The treasure chest contains the following loot. Note that all of it is stolen, and selling the gemstones may require the characters to seek out a fence or another seedy individual to unload these ill-gotten goods. 20 gp 300 sp 1000 cp Spell scroll (divine favor) (common) Potion of healing (common) Azurite (10 gp) Malachite (10 gp) Eye agate (10 gp) Tiger eye (10 gp) Turquoise (10 gp) What’s Next? If Captain Bharros is alive and he aided the characters in their journey to obtain the treasure, Captain Bharros demands half of the discovered treasure as part of his cut. He could be talked down to one quarter or less with successful Charisma (Deception, Intimidation, or Persuasion) checks. Failure to give Captain Bharros what he considers to be his due will most likely result in him and his crew attacking the characters. The characters may wish to return to Havdhir to seek out a fence for the gemstones they have acquired, or they may wish to return to the port to spend their treasures or spread news of their discovery. The characters may wish to return to Vlaskor and inform him of the fate of his ship or turn in Captain Bharros and his crew. Continuing the Adventure Some Game Masters may wish to continue the story created by this quest. The ideas below are not a part of the main adventure but are suggestions about how to expand upon the events of this quest: • If Captain Bharros is alive, he requests the characters’ aid in stealing another ship from Havdhir’s port, promising to split the plunder and the ownership of the ship with them 50/50. • The eye agate is cursed, causing anyone who touches the stone to be slowly driven insane. The characters must seek out a renowned cleric to remove the curse. • Nearby pirates hear that the characters uncovered the lost treasures of Vrehnor Isle, and these scallywags set out to take the treasure from the characters by force. 126 Vrehnor Isle

Vrehnor Isle 127 Captain Marrow’s Treasure Map Key 1 The Wrecked Keelhaul Marauder 2 Quicksand Trap 3 Fearful Visage Trap 4 Snake Pit Trap 5 Pirate Cave Entrance 1 2 3 4 5 Dead Man’ s Lake Lake Quipper Cove Black Coast Vrehnor Mountains Vrehnor Mountains Tipped Peaks Volcano Black Mountains Jungle Mountains Leaden Hills Ashen Swamp Jungle Jungle Beached Ship Forlorn Cliff VREHNOR ISLE

128 Vrehnor Isle Pirate Cave Key 1 Cave Entrance 2 Cave-in Dead End S Skeletons B Buried Treasure 1 Square = 5ft. S B 1 2 Vrehnor Isle

Stolen Scrolls 129 Stolen Scrolls In “Stolen Scrolls,” the characters might be seeking out the missing texts taken from the wreckage of the Liber and searching Horn’s Head Cave for evidence of the scrolls. On the other hand, they might simply stumble upon the wreckage and decide to investigate the caves. Upon entering these caverns, the characters will encounter a band of bugbears that have taken up residence there (and who also have raided the Liber). While exploring the caverns, the characters might also encounter Gluck-glubruhk, a sea hag frustrated by the bugbears’ presence. The texts of the Liber are in the clutches of Orphos, a bugbear curse-caster that has been studying the texts that his bugbear minions uncovered from the Liber in an attempt to add more curses and hexes to his repertoire. This quest is designed for characters of 4th or 5th level. It would be deadly for characters of 3rd level or below. How the Characters Become Involved Characters might become involved in the events surrounding the “Stolen Scrolls” quest in a number of ways; a few options are provided here: • The characters meet with Gholbin Hearth in the Temple of the Manifold Gods. He informs the characters that a shipment of curse scrolls and history scrolls was recently lost or sunk near Horn’s Head Cave. The characters head to the caves to investigate. • The characters discover Horn’s Head Cave while sailing in the waters around Havdhir, potentially as part of the “One that Got Away” side quest. • The characters hear of Horn’s Head Cave from locals in Havdhir, and decide to investigate the rumors of sunken ships in the area. Horn’s Head Cave is a natural coastal cave located along the cliff faces of Havdhir. The cave is roughly 2 miles from the city and can be reached by either climbing down the cliff face or by sailing into the partially sunken caves.

Characters may charter a boat from the Havdhir Notary and Exchange, sailing to the entrance of Horn’s Head Cave instead of risking a climb down the cliffs. The Problem Recently, the Liber was sailing through a thick fog that was rolling off of the sea and sailed too close to the caves, tearing great holes in the hull on the jagged rocks that are hidden just beneath the water’s surface. The ship was quickly raided by a contingent of bugbears living within the cave, slaying any survivors of the wreck and dragging to shore whatever contents of the ship they could get their hands on, leaving the vessel to sink beneath the waters. These bugbears had initially ventured toward Havdhir in an attempt to join “the Dragon” (see the side quest “Burning Bugbears” beginning on page 106), but after discovering Horn’s Head Cave, they decided to set up their own base of operations within the safety of the caves. The bugbears moved into the cave several months ago, taking advantage of the plentiful fishing and the protection the cave offered and preying upon the occasional small fishing vessel that came too close to their lair. This small tribe of goblinoids could not believe their luck when a ship wrecked itself on the jagged stones surrounding the cave entrance, allowing them to easily slay the remaining sailors and board and loot what was left of the sinking vessel. To the bugbears’ chagrin, the “riches” aboard the ship were books, scrolls, tax forms, and other items considered wholly useless by most of the brutes. However, the leader of the bugbears, a cunning mage named Orphos, recognized the power and knowledge held within some of the scrolls, and he has been studying them religiously for days. Orphos has begun to gain knowledge of various magical traps and curses from the stolen tomes and has set up a few curses outside his chambers as “practice.” Climbing Down to the Caves Unless a creature can fly, getting down to the caves requires scaling the cliff faces above the caves by using natural handholds, a rope, or some other equipment. The cave mouth is roughly 100 feet down from the edge of the cliff faces off the coast of Havdhir. Each time a creature attempts to climb down the cliff on its turn, it must make a Strength (Athletics) check. The DC is 10 to climb without a rope. With a rope or other climbing aid, the DC reduces to 5. A creature that falls while climbing must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the creature slams into the water below, taking 1d6 bludgeoning damage per 20 feet fallen. On a success, the creature turns the fall into a dive and takes no damage. Sailing to the Caves Sailing to the caves without crashing into the wreckage requires a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check from the captain of the vessel. On a failure, the vessel slams into some of the wreckage or into the rocks beneath the surface of the water, and each creature on the deck of the ship must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or be hurled overboard. If the Wisdom (Survival) check to steer the ship fails by 5 or more, the DC for the Dexterity saving throw increases to 17. Water Surrounding the Caves The water in front of the mouth of the cave is littered with the wreckage of the Liber, a vessel meant to transport scrolls, tax information, books, and other various legal and business papers between Havdhir and far off kingdoms. The vessel has been completely destroyed and ransacked, and the water around it is infested with hungry sharks that are picking at the slain sailors’ corpses. 3 reef sharks swim about the wreckage. Anyone entering the water around the cave is attacked by the sharks, who are constantly on the hunt for their next meal. Loot There is nothing of value in this area. Horn’s Head Cave The wreckage of a ship litters the water in front of this partially-submerged cave. It seems that the tide might soon flood the cave’s entrance. The wreckage of this ship appears to have been burnt in some places, and arrows are stuck into some of the pieces of wreckage. A small, rocky “beach” rolls forth from the cave mouth, covered in sea life and algae. Investigating the wreckage reveals nothing of worth, and exploring the ship would almost surely mean entering the water which is patrolled by reef sharks. The majority of the wrecked ship lies 100 feet under the surface. Nothing of value can be 130 Stolen Scrolls

Stolen Scrolls 131 found within it, but several corpses torn apart by reef sharks are visible. The entrance to the cave floods once every 12 hours, with low tide 6 hours between each high tide. The flooding of the cave may cause the characters to become trapped within the cave, forcing them to swim through the Horn’s Head Cave Entrance Chamber and then swim about 20 feet up from the cave mouth in order to reach air. Horn’s Head Cave Entrance Chamber Stepping into the mouth of the cave, your feet crunch on small bits of black stone, barnacles, and mussels clinging to the small shoreline. The bugbears rarely get visitors to the cave, but the occasional merrow or the odd wandering pirate has made them cautious. With their leader engrossed in their latest find, the bugbears have taken steps to defend their lair, setting up a trap at the entrance for would-be intruders. The entrance to the chamber is littered with simple tripwire traps: Four spring-loaded poison spikes traps are set in the hall. Loot There is nothing of value in this area. Littered Tunnel The tunnel is littered with scraps of cloth, torn and waterlogged parchment, and bits of wood. Echoing can be heard up ahead, and it’s clear that several creatures are all congregated in the chamber beyond. The creatures are calling out to one another in bellowing voices that echo through the tunnels, distorting the sound and making it unintelligible. Loot There is nothing of value in this area. Bugbear Living Chamber Hulking bugbears squat before fires in this chamber, turning what looks like a massive swordfish over a roaring fire. It smells delicious. Various books and papers are piled high near the fire, and one of the bugbears reaches out and grabs a fistful of the papers, hurling them into the flames which crackle, searing the cooking fish in a burst of heat. Several small “nests” are set up around the chamber, each consisting of a mix of blankets, torn sails, and bits of moss and other soft-looking foliage. “I say we join up with the Dragon! He’s got fire in him, fire like THIS fire, not stupid books and half-baked spells like Orphos!” one of the bugbears shouts, tossing a book into the flames. 4 bugbears reside in this chamber where they store loot they gather from fishermen or that they haul up in nets during fishing expeditions in front of the cave. Many of the tax documents and non-magical or historical papers confiscated from the Liber are being used as fuel for the bugbears’ fires. Roleplaying the Bugbears The bugbears have been waiting several days for Orphos to emerge from his chambers. They have been spending their time rifling through the meager possessions taken from the Liber and growing quite contentious. Most of the bugbears are in agreement they should abandon Horn’s Head Cave and the small treasures they have been able to obtain. They feel that serving the bugbear leader (“the Dragon”) in the south would bring them much more lucrative adventures. Characters might be able to convince the bugbears to abandon their post or to turn against their leader, Orphos. The DC may change based on the situation, but some sample DCs are provided here: A DC 15 Charisma (Deception) check may trick the bugbears into betraying their leader or abandoning their post. A DC 18 Charisma (Persuasion) check may convince the bugbears that the characters are no threat or that there are better opportunities elsewhere. A DC 20 Charisma (Intimidation) check may scare off the bugbears. If the characters have also already slain the Dragon, the DC decreases to 15. A DC 20 Charisma (Deception, Intimidation, or Persuasion) check might convince the bugbears to turn against Orphos and to help the characters kill him. After Orphos is dead, there is no guarantee that they will remain friendly toward the characters.

Stolen Scrolls If the characters have already slain or otherwise dealt with the Dragon, they have advantage on Charisma (Deception, Intimidation, or Persuasion) checks when dealing with the bugbears. Loot Roasted swordfish (100 gp). This swordfish, which is mostly cooked, weighs 400 lbs. and provides enough food for 100 days as long as it is preserved in some way. Carved bone statuette (25 gp) Gold cloth vestments (25 gp) Black velvet mask stitched with silver thread (5 gp) 10x Scroll case (1 gp each) 10x Waterlogged book (1 cp each) Tunnels The cave tunnels split into two paths leading away from this chamber. One of the tunnels curves around a bend and is lit with flickering torches. The other quickly leads down into a pool of water. Torch-Lit Tunnel The tunnel extends upwards through the rock. Torches line the pathway for a few yards before the path plunges into a damp darkness. A pile of stones has been amassed in the chamber, and it is clear that this tunnel has been sealed off, though not very well. The rocks can be removed by a creature spending 1 minute to remove them or by a creature succeeding on a DC 15 Strength check to knock the piles of rock over. The torch-lit tunnel leads to a small chamber that the bugbears unsuccessfully attempted to convert into a living area. A sea hag named Gluck-glubruhk stores her possessions in the small cavern and did not take kindly to the intrusion of a band of bugbears. The hag has an aquatic tunnel leading straight down and out of the chamber into the open sea, and she can easily come and go as she pleases. When the bugbears first moved in, they attempted to root the hag out, only to suffer extensive losses of life from the horrifying abilities of the hag. Many fled in terror. The bugbears have built up a small wall, hoping to hold her back. Gluck-glubruhk, with no need for the rest of the caves, has been content to leave the bugbears alone… for now. Loot There is nothing of value in this area. Gluck-glubruhk’s Lair This chamber is dank and dark. Sounds of drip…drip…dripping come from somewhere within. Looking in, you can see a drop of water falling from the cavern’s ceiling. When it makes contact with the water below, just for an instant a small burst of bioluminescence illuminates the chamber. Another slow drop falls into the deep pool, which glows with a blue light for a moment before the chamber darkens again. The water in the chamber is filled with microscopic organisms that float on the surface and glow when anything touches the water, shedding bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet. Drops from the ceiling stir up the organisms to illuminate the chamber for 6 seconds every 1 minute. A creature moving through the water, using an action to touch the water, or hurl an object into the water also causes the brief illumination. Otherwise, the lair is in complete darkness. The pool in this chamber is 60 feet deep. A small, underwater channel leads out to the open sea. Gluck-glubruhk lurks beneath the water in this natural chamber. Beneath the surface, she is hoarding small trinkets and trophies that she’s collected from past victims. Roleplaying Gluck-glubruhk Gluck-glubruhk (like all sea hags) despises anything beautiful. If the characters are in possession of anything considered “beautiful” that she can see or one of the characters is particularly good-looking, she flies into a fit of rage. She drops any disguise and attempts to destroy or deface the source of the beauty at all costs. 132

Stolen Scrolls 133 If she spots the characters before they spot her, Gluck-glubruhk will use her Illusory Appearance to assume the form of a human woman, attempting to lure the characters into a false sense of security. She may wish to convince them to kill the bugbears within the tunnel, promising them a reward if they do so, or she might attempt to lure them into the water where she will drop her disguise and use her Horrific Appearance and Death Glare to drag a character beneath the surface. While disguised, Gluck-glubruhk speaks in a soft, wistful tone and acts as though she is terrified of the bugbears. A successful Wisdom (Insight) check opposed by her Charisma (Deception) check would reveal that she is toying with the characters. The hag has advantage on this check. If asked about how she entered the chamber, Gluckglubruhk is likely to suggest that the bugbears trapped her in here and are waiting for her to starve. While in her true form, Gluck-glubruhk speaks in a gurgling croak and calls insults at her enemies. Gluck-glubruhk (1 Stat Block) is a chaotic evil sea hag. Gluck-glubruhk uses her Illusory Appearance and addresses the characters, read the following aloud: A woman splashes about, her form shrouded by the strange glow permeating the water. Her head surfaces, and she calls out to you in alarm, “Are you here to save me from those horrible monsters!?” If Gluck-glubruhk is spotted or her illusion is pierced, read the following aloud: The creature splashing about in the water resembles a drowned woman. Its skin is a dark blue-green. Its hair is lanky and resembles seaweed as it dangles limply from the creature’s head. If a character swims to the bottom of the pool, read the following aloud: The bottom of this pool is littered with bones. A small alcove beneath the surface is filled with half-eaten bits of fish and other creatures, and a waterlogged chest sits in the corner of the wretched chamber. Loot Gluck-glubruhk’s treasures are held in a small chest within her alcove at the bottom of the pool. 8 gp 6x Fishing hook (1 sp each) Fisherman’s charm necklace (1 cp)

Stolen Scrolls Sunken Tunnel Diving down into the tunnel, you can see little. The murkiness of the water makes it nearly impossible to tell if you are nearing anything resembling an exit. The tunnel extends underwater for 300 feet and is difficult terrain. A creature without a swim speed and with a walking speed of 30 feet can swim through the entire tunnel in 2 minutes, a short enough time for bugbears to hold their breath and swim through the chamber with ease. Orphos has used the scrolls to set, 150 feet into the tunnel, a glyph of warding with a modified entangle spell. When a creature other than a bugbear swims over the glyph, the spell activates, and grasping seaweed sprouts in a 20-foot cube centered on where the glyph was triggered. A creature in that area when the spell is activated must succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw or be restrained by the entangling plants for ten minutes. A creature restrained by the plants can repeat the saving throw at the end of every minute. On a success, it frees itself. Loot There is nothing of value in this area. 134

Stolen Scrolls 135 Orphos’s Lair Entrance A door of dark wood rests before you. Beautiful arcane glyphs have been carved into it. There’s also a carved depiction of a bugbear with its mouth open. As you approach, a voice issues from the portal, “This passes as ore through stone and crawls along through flesh and bone. It is the color of petals, and has the smell of metal. Some flee the sight of it in utter terror. Feed it to me in order to enter.” Using the scrolls stolen from the Liber, Orphos has experimentally created this magically trapped door. The door opens only when the solution to the spoken riddle is completed. (The solution is pouring blood into the carved bugbear’s open mouth.) A character can deal damage to itself or to another creature, placing its blood into the mouth in the door. A minimum of 5 hit points-worth of spilled blood must be fed to the door. A creature succeeding on a DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine or Survival) check can extract the blood of a dead creature for use with the door. Any time the door is fed blood that does not equate to a total of 5 hit points, the mouth opens wider, and the door slides open slightly. When the door has been sated with 5 hit points worth of blood, the mouth on the door lets out a satisfied sigh and the door slides open. The door can also be reverted to a normal door with a remove curse spell or similar magic. The door easily slides open after the spell is cast. Otherwise, the door can be broken down, but note that it has been magically reinforced. The door has AC 19, 27 hp, and a damage threshold of 5. An attack made on the door alerts Orphos and Groggle, who are currently in Orphos’s Lair. In addition, each time the door is attacked the mouth uses a reaction to bite or spit a small gout of flame at the attacker. The door has +5 to hit with its bite attack and deals 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage on a hit. The door has +5 to hit with its flame attack, which has a range of 120 feet and deals 6 (1d6 + 3) fire damage on a hit. The door can take 5 reactions per turn but has no actions. Loot There is nothing of value in this area. Orphos’s Lair This chamber is lit by a great, blazing brazier at its center. Piles of driftwood and bits of a ruined ship are drying nearby. Several large, watertight cases have been opened and are sitting in disarray, tossed against the wall. Makeshift shelves from scraps of wood groan under the weight of the piles of scrolls and books. If the characters have not alerted Orphos or Groggle to their presence, read the following aloud: A bugbear wearing a heavy black cloak is bent over a desk at the far end of the chamber. Its form is slightly obscured by the massive fire roaring in the makeshift fireplace that is situated between you and the bugbear. “The Dragon, hah… Who needs that fool when we could control the ports of Havdhir with the knowledge hidden in these scrolls… though… nothing much has come of my studies yet… but I am SURE it is only a matter of time…” mumbles the bugbear in a rasping voice. The bugbear leans farther over the desk, its face almost pressed to the scroll it has spread before it. Another bugbear sits sleeping in a chair that’s set against the far wall, obviously placed there to watch the door to the chamber. If the characters have alerted Orphos or Groggle to their presence, read the following aloud: A bugbear wearing a heavy black cloak stands at the center of the room. Its form is slightly obscured by the massive fire roaring in a makeshift fireplace that’s situated between you and the bugbear. “Who in the name of all the abyssal curses are you?!” calls the bugbear, its hands crackling with black lightning. Another bugbear lets out a low growl, glaring at you from a few feet away and blocking your path to the cloaked bugbear. In his lair, Orphos is studying the scrolls and texts taken from the Liber and is being protected by his right-hand man, Groggle. Unless the characters make a decent amount of noise entering Orphos’s lair (such as by attacking the door, by shouting in the tunnel beyond, or by tripping into the room in heavy armor), Orphos and Groggle are surprised during the first round of combat.

Stolen Scrolls Roleplaying Orphos Orphos is an elderly bugbear well past his prime, keeping himself alive and in control of other bugbears through the use of magic and the occasional bit of subterfuge. Orphos has graying fur, wears a tattered black cloak made from the sail of a sunken ship, and speaks in a croaking voice. Orphos is susceptible to flattery, and he is (for the most part) a yellow-bellied curse-caster. He has only recently come into what he thinks could be “real power” through the scrolls and tomes that he and his minions raided from the wrecked Liber. Orphos is particularly interested in the study of curses. If the characters show him the marks of their curse, they have advantage on Charisma (Deception or Persuasion) checks to get Orphos to speak with them. He may even be willing to share some information regarding the curse with them. Characters that engage in conversation with Orphos might be able to strike a deal with him. Orphos will offer to impart his knowledge of the curse in exchange for the removal of the sea hag Gluck-glubruhk. He may also ask the characters to win back the respect and fear of his bugbear comrades who are holed up in the Bugbear Living Chamber. Orphos knows very little about the curse other than that he read something about three keys of some sort that are involved in breaking the curse. If he is friendly toward them, he might also point the characters to a few of the texts he has that are related to the subject: namely, Tales of the Usurper, Recipients of the Curse of the Usurper, and “Cursèd Shjekhel.” Orphos (1 Stat Block) is a neutral evil bugbear. Roleplaying Groggle Groggle is Orphos’s most trusted companion and bodyguard, serving Orphos unquestioningly. Groggle is easily confused, communicates mostly in growls or grunts, and is overly fond of violence… even for a bugbear. Groggle (1 Stat Block) is a lawful evil bugbear. Loot In his chamber, Orphos is hoarding the various pilfered scrolls and books that he considers are worth studying. Spell scroll (bane) (common) Spell scroll (bestow curse) (uncommon) Spell scroll (blindness/deafness) (uncommon) Spell scroll (inflict wounds) (common) Book: Curses and Their Practitioners (20 gp) Book: Necromancers of the Darklands (10 gp) Book: Recipients of the Curse of the Usurper (5 gp) Book: Tales of the Usurper. (5 gp) Missive to the Triumvirate (1 sp) Note from the Dragon (1 sp) Poem: “Cursèd Shjekhel” (1 sp) Sealed scroll, the wax seal impressed with the image of a fanged skull (worthless) What’s Next? While the characters may not find much of use in the shipment of scrolls and tomes, a few of the books and scrolls do offer detailed information and some rumors regarding the curse that’s afflicting them. The characters may return to Gholbin Hearth. Gholbin will be saddened to hear of the fate of the Liber and the loss of the knowledge being transported aboard the ship. If presented with the 136

Stolen Scrolls 137 books that the characters discovered, he is happy to pay for them and will study them to the best of his ability. In his studies, Gholbin will be unable to discern much from the texts available to him other than that the curse afflicting the characters seems to be passed along through members of the Shjelborn clan bloodline either to their direct descendents or to some third party. Unfortunately, anyone not directly descended from the Shjelborn clan is not able to pass the curse on to anyone else. Azkhell requires the “Cursèd Shjekhel” poem and the Recipients of the Curse of the Usurper document in order to confirm his research after the characters complete the “Azkhell’s Agoraphobia” quest. Continuing the Adventure Some Game Masters may wish to continue the story created by this quest. The ideas below are not a part of the main adventure but are suggestions about how to expand upon the events of this quest: • A renowned scholar hears of the characters’ success in reclaiming the texts of the Liber. The scholar has heard rumors of a fabled tome hidden in the subterranean lair of a bugbear tribe to the south and asks the characters to obtain the book. • Gholbin finds something suspicious in one of the books that the characters retrieved—a hidden missive written in the book by one of the sailors of the Liber. The missive indicates that the sailor saw an island village overrun by Undead but that the captain ordered the crew to secrecy. The crew member was suspicious of the captain and his potential involvement in the activities of this island and provided a map to it hidden within the book. Gholbin, being a religious man, asks the characters to investigate. • If Gluck-glubruhk is slain, a merrow chief (who happens to be the leader of a tribe that used to trade with the sea hag) learns of her demise and sets out to kill the characters as revenge. The characters will not be safe in open water until this merrow and its tribe are slain.

Stolen Scrolls 7 138 Stolen Scrolls A Key 1 Reefs 2 Sunken Ship (Liber) 3 Rocky Beach 4 Cliffs 5 Books & Scrolls 6 Swordfish 7 Water Pool 8 Pile of Stones B Bugbears G Gluck-glubruhk T Spring-Loaded Spike Traps 1 Square = 5ft. 8 5 6 5 B B B B 4 1 1 1 2 3 4 T T T T G

Stolen Scrolls Stolen Scrolls B Key 1 300ft. Tunnel 2 Glyph of Warding 3 Shore 4 Large Wooden Door 5 Driftwood 6 Desk 7 Bookshelves 8 Chests GN Groggle (Not Alerted) ON Orphos (Not Alerted) GA Groggle (Alerted) OA Orphos (Alerted) 139 1 Square = 5ft. 1 2 3 4 5 OA GA 8 GN 6 ON 7

Paying the Grifter's Guild… a Visit Paying the Grifter’s Guild… a Visit In “Paying the Grifter’s Guild… a Visit,” the characters may be attempting to save Anna, the wife of Rufus Welfore, from the Grifter’s Guild. In order to do this, the characters must clamber into Drain’s End, a Grifter’s Guild outpost built within the sewers beneath Havdhir. Confronting the Grifter’s Guild, the characters have two options: In exchange for Anna’s freedom, they can assist the Grifter’s Guild in removing the threat of several sewer ogres that have moved into the nearby tunnels… or the characters can take on the Grifter’s Guild head on. This quest is designed for characters of 3rd or 4th level. It would be deadly for characters of 2nd level or below. How the Characters Become Involved Characters might become involved in the events surrounding the “Paying the Grifter’s Guild… A Visit” quest in a number of ways; a few options are provided here: • The characters are confronted by Rufus Welfore, who asks them to safely return his wife from the clutches of the Grifter’s Guild. To begin this quest, Rufus directs them to an entrance to Drain’s End: a small area serving as a connection to the greater Undercity. • The characters follow various leads around Havdhir on how to locate, join, or combat the Grifter’s Guild, gathering intel that directs them to Drain’s End. Drain’s End is a small and secluded entrance to the Undercity, serving as one of many bases of operation for the Grifter’s Guild. Drain’s End is not the most glamorous of the guild’s entrances; it serves as a dead drop, a place to fence goods, and as a holding location for prisoners for ransom. The Problem Rufus Welfore’s wife, Anna, has been kidnapped by the Grifter’s Guild. She is being held for a ransom of 5,000 gold pieces—the same amount that Rufus borrowed from the Guild. Rufus’s wife has been taken to the Drain’s End waterway where she has been imprisoned by several Grifter’s Guild enforcers. 140

141 While things look grim for Anna, the enforcers have problems of their own: A group of sewer ogres has moved into one of the connecting passages and is creating a nest of tangled trash that’s now infested with drain rats. The guild fears that the sewer ogres will soon make a move to take over the rest of Drain’s End and are annoyed by the ogres adding to its already putrid stench. The enforcers might be willing to forgive Rufus’s debt if someone would take care of their “ogre problem.” Drain’s End Entrance You near a small canal; a massive sewer pipe (roughly 15 feet tall) is partially submerged in the canal several yards away from you. The front of the entrance is covered by a large, metal grate, but a sizable amount of the grate has rusted away. A small rowboat sits in front of the entrance, and a ragged-looking child is sitting in the boat holding a fishing pole, the line dragging in the murky water. A putrid stench emanates from the water and sewer pipe. The boy, Jacob Ishmael, keeps an eye out for trouble on the guild’s behalf. When he spots someone new attempting to enter Drain’s End, he abandons the boat and clambers into a hidden pipe (different from the massive one) that leads into the waterway, crawling through it to warn the enforcers therein. A successful DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check or a passive Perception of 18 or higher lets a creature spot the pipe. A creature of Small size or smaller can fit through the pipe by squeezing. Roleplaying Jacob Ishmael Jacob wears a large straw hat and baggy clothes that hide most of his scrawny frame. His eyes shift during conversation, as if he’s always looking for an escape. Jacob is an orphan and waif of a child working for the guild, earning himself a paltry few copper coins each week. He has dreams of one day becoming a full-fledged member of the guild, rising to the rank of enforcer… or even higher! The characters might be able to convince Jacob to betray the guild or to be adopted, if offering him sufficient safety or gold. Jacob would need to be paid 1 gold piece per day (a fortune in his eyes) to betray the guild and temporarily join the characters. Convincing him he should abandon his current life requires a DC 18 Charisma (Persuasion) check. The check is made with advantage if the characters are offering him safety or compensation, and the DC can be lowered by offering him additional gold pieces. Jacob Ishmael (1 Stat Block) is a chaotic neutral human. Loot There is nothing of value in this area. Entering Drain’s End The drain grate has an open space that a Medium creature can pass through by squeezing (a smaller creature can pass through the opening without having to squeeze). A creature squeezing through the grate must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity check or be scratched by the rusted metal, potentially contracting tetanus. Grifter’s Guild members have keys that can open the lock, so they do not have to squeeze through and risk contracting tetanus. A creature using thieves’ tools can pick the grate’s lock with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check. The grate has AC 18, 27 hit points, immunity to poison and psychic damage, and a damage threshold of 5. A successful DC 25 Strength check smashes the grate open. Paying the Grifter's Guild… a Visit

Drain’s End Trapped Tunnel A tunnel of metal and stone stretches before you and is partially submerged in murky water. Small pipes jut out and empty into this much larger tunnel, some spewing foulsmelling water. The tunnel is trapped with pressure plates along it that are set by the Grifter’s Guild. Members of the guild and those invited to the Undercity or Drain’s End are given instructions on how to avoid the traps, which deal with both snooping Havdhir guards and vagrants alike, protecting the Grifter’s Guild from outsiders. There are 5 pressure plates along the hall. Enforcers regularly patrol the tunnel. They are very practiced at incapacitating, knocking out, and dragging away any and all interlopers, taking them to the Interrogation Room for questioning as to their intentions. Any Havdhir guards or enemies of the guild that are caught trying to enter the tunnel are often struck by darts from the hands of sneaky enforcers and then dropped into the canal where they drown. If the characters are all knocked unconscious, they are picked up a few minutes later by Grifter’s Guild enforcers and dragged into the interrogation room where they awaken tied to chairs. A creature can escape its bonds with a successful DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics or Sleight of Hand) check or tear its bonds with a successful DC 20 Strength check. Loot There is nothing of value in this area. Grifter’s Market This underground chamber resembles a large cistern. There are small holes in the ceiling that shed dim light across the room. Water runs, diverted, around a central platform of stone. The putrid liquid courses away in several directions. At the center platform, standing before a stone dais, is a scrawny girl who is holding a handful of items up to a portly man who frowns down at her. “Not worth a gold piece on your life, you runt!” shouts the man from the dais, “I’ll give you a silver piece for this lot, and then you can very well scramble back to the market and try to lift something more useful.” Sally Carthus is attempting to sell her stolen wares to Jericho Srew. Jericho is FAR underpaying for the items being presented, offering a measly 1 silver piece for a set of goods worth 35 gold pieces. A character can appraise the goods and deduce as much with a successful DC 10 Intelligence check. Jericho is well aware he is underpaying and is usually rather talented at getting what he wants. If the characters intervene on Sally’s behalf, she becomes friendly toward them, while Jericho treats them with contempt. Both Sally and Jericho know about Anna Welfore’s capture. If asked about Anna, Sally responds: “Yeah, I saw the enforcers drag some woman into the pit the other day. You could talk with them about freeing her.” If asked about Anna, Jericho responds: “Aye. I can tell ya where they took that wretch, but it’ll cost ya.” If he is paid 5 gold pieces or if the characters succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Deception, Intimidation, or Persuasion) check to convince him to reveal her location, Jericho will convey that Anna has been taken to Drain’s End Prison. 142 Paying the Grifter's Guild… a Visit

143 Roleplaying Sally Carthus Sally is outspoken, confident, and a clever con artist. Sally is a young elf girl of 10 who regularly sells stolen goods to the Grifter’s Guild, picking pockets in the Market District to make her living. Sally is orphaned but does well enough for herself and even owns a small shack in the Barnacle Barrows district. Sally Carthus (1 Stat Block) is a chaotic neutral elf. Roleplaying Jericho Srew Jericho is a burly man who is fond of entertainment, drink, and sleep. He reeks of body odor and cares little for his own appearance or hygiene. He mostly speaks by barking commanding phrases. Jericho regularly purchases items from various “freelancers,” trading coin for stolen goods which are then passed to associates within the guild for further distribution. Jericho is also in charge of greeting anyone “new” in Drain’s End. Jericho Srew (1 Stat Block) is a neutral evil human. Loot Sally Carthus Small gold bracelet (25 gp) Silver cup (10 gp) Jericho Srew Key to Drain’s End Entrance (1 gp if sold to someone seeking the guild) Interrogation Room Before you are two men and a woman, each with wicked-looking maces and heavy crossbows strapped to their belts. All of them are burly and are clothed in simple leather armor. The three of them stand behind a large wooden table, upon which are various instruments: a hammer, a pair of tongs, several nails, and a torch… Many of the objects are covered in blood, and you notice the odd tooth and bit of flesh lying on the table. If the characters have been captured by the Grifter’s Guild, also read the following aloud: Stirring groggily, you look down to see your hands and feet tied to a wooden chair. If the guards can see the characters, also read the following aloud: The woman glowers at you, slamming her fist on the table in front of her. “Who in the Nine Hells are you, and what in the name of the Red Hand are you doing down here? 3 Grifter’s Guild enforcers (1 Stat Block) serve as interrogators within this room, dragging in and questioning anyone that enters Drain’s End without the permission of the guild. They also deal with “questioning” some of the unfortunate souls who are past due on paying the money they owe the guild. If the characters have been knocked unconscious or captured by the guild, they are tied to chairs in front of the enforcers. Their equipment has been taken and stored in a trunk inside this room. If the characters are not compliant the enforcers may attempt to “loosen their tongues” utilizing the items at their disposal; the enforcers are very skilled with said items. Paying the Grifter's Guild… a Visit

Roleplaying the Grifter’s Guild Enforcers The Grifter’s Guild enforcers have been dealing with the major problems of the incursions of the drain rats and threat posed by the sewer ogres. If the characters ask for clemency or about Anna Welfore, the enforcers might agree to release the characters (and Anna, if they ask about her) in exchange for the characters evicting and ejecting the monsters that have made their home in Drain’s End. If the characters refuse to aid the enforcers and cannot be “broken” by them, the enforcers drop them into Drain’s End Prison. Loot Bloodstained tongs (2 gp) Bloodstained hammer (1 gp) Nails (bag of 1,000) (1 sp) Torch (1 cp) Bloody human tooth (1 cp if sold to an alchemist or spellcaster) Each Grifter’s Guild Enforcer Key to Drain’s End Entrance (1 gp if sold to someone seeking the guild) Guild stone (1 sp) (1 Item) Trunk Characters’ equipment (if applicable) Drain’s End Prison Exterior A heavy iron gate is set into the wall, leading away into darkness beyond. A creature using thieves’ tools can pick the gate’s lock with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check. A creature locked inside of the prison could attempt to use a bit of stone, a shard of bone, or some other improvised item to pick the lock, but the creature would have disadvantage on its Dexterity check. The gate has AC 18, 27 hit points, immunity to poison and psychic damage, and a damage threshold of 5. A DC 25 Strength check smashes the gate open. Attacking or destroying the door alerts and summons the 3 enforcers from the Interrogation Room or alerts and summons enforcers from the Grifter’s Market (if the ones in the Interrogation Room are dead or unconscious). Drain's End Prison Interior Before you is a deep, stone pit half-filled with water. Chains have been affixed to the stone a few feet above the waterline, and you can see a woman desperately clinging to one of the dangling chains, hopelessly treading water. Drain’s End Prison has two defensive measures. Firstly, there’s a metal gate that, when opened, leads into the chamber. Secondly, prisoners are dropped into a deep pit of water that is extremely difficult to climb out of. Chains attached to the pit’s walls can be wrapped around prisoners or the prisoners may hang upon them to keep from having to swim for hours a day. When a prisoner is to be removed from the pit, a rope or chain is dropped down for them to climb up. If other prisoners are present, they are usually threatened with sleeping darts by the guild enforcers. The characters may be dropped into the prison if they are captured and refuse to comply with the enforcers. If this occurs, also read the following aloud: “Maybe a few weeks in the pit will make you more agreeable!” shouts an enforcer as he kicks you into the deep pit. Each hour, a creature in the pit not holding onto one of the chains on the wall must succeed on a Strength (Athletics) check to keep its head above water. A bound creature has disadvantage on this check. The DC is 10 (+ 1 for each hour spent within the pit). A creature can hang on to one of the 144 Paying the Grifter's Guild… a Visit

145 chains while it is awake to avoid having to make a check. The pit is 40 feet deep, and the bottom 20 feet are filled with water. The chains are set into the walls 5 feet above the water line and run an additional 5 feet under the water. A few baubles lie at the bottom of the pit and can be spotted through the murky water with a DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check. A successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check allows a creature to climb out of the pit. A bound creature has both disadvantage and a -2 penalty on this check. Small channels formed in the floor of the other chambers in Drain’s End direct trickling water into this pit. The water slowly flows out to sea from here, but the water level rarely varies more than 1 or 2 feet. Anna Welfore is currently the sole prisoner being held in Drain’s End Prison. Roleplaying Anna Welfore Anna is terrified and has no idea why the guild has brought her here. If she is told that her imprisonment is the result of her husband’s gambling and inability to pay his debts, she flies into a terrible rage, swearing to “make that drain rat of a man pay!” Anna is happy to go along with any plan that might get her out of the prison, and characters have advantage on Charisma-related skill checks when dealing with Anna. Anna is dressed in tattered rags, and her skin is pruney from days of swimming about in the filthy water. She is desperately hanging on one of the dangling chains in the pit, rarely (if ever) releasing it from her grasp. Anna Welfore (1 Stat Block) is a neutral good human. Loot DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check Signet ring (5 gp) Silver fork (1 sp) Sewer Ogre Maze A tangle of drenched wood, scraps of cloth, muck, bits of warped metal, and other junk are piled high along the walls of this chamber, woven together in a sort of disgusting tunnel that branches in multiple directions. A terrible stench permeates the whole of this maze, which appears to be held together by waste and garbage. Sewer ogres are known for constructing elaborate mazes of filth that serve as their lairs. The sewer ogres crashed into Drain’s End from some disused sewers and waterways beneath Havdhir. The filthy creatures quickly began claiming sections of this newfound territory for themselves, constructing their mazes from the disgusting refuse that’s been flushed down the drains of Havdhir. The presence of the ogres has also attracted drain rats, who make their homes in the pre-made nests provided by the weaving ogres. The maze is easily traversed by the sewer ogres living within, but any other creature attempting to navigate its way toward the center of the maze or find its way back out again must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) check to determine the right direction to go. When a creature enters the maze and at the end of each 30 minutes it spends within, it must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for the next 5 minutes, the horrible smell overwhelming its senses. The entirety of the maze is considered difficult terrain for creatures other than the drain rats and sewer ogres residing there. Paying the Grifter's Guild… a Visit

The first few feet of the maze are illuminated by the light filtering in from the rest of Drain’s End, but 10 feet in, the maze is considered to be an area of darkness. Each time the characters take a turn within the maze, roll a d8 determining what they encounter based on the result. 1 Nothing of interest resides in this hall apart from the ever-present filth and woven garbage. 2 A gleaming, albeit cracked, gemstone (worth 5 gold pieces) is set at the far side of this chamber. Resting right beneath the gemstone is a hunting trap. The hunting trap can be spotted with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check or by a creature with a passive Perception of 15 or higher. A creature that steps on the trap must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take 2 (1d4) piercing damage and stop moving. Thereafter, until the creature breaks free of the trap, its movement is limited by the length of the chain attached to it (typically 3 feet long). A creature can use its action to make a DC 13 Strength check, freeing itself or another creature within its reach on a success. On a failure, the trapped creature takes 1 piercing damage. 3 The chamber is filled with rags and torn coin purses. A successful DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals 2 gold pieces in this chamber. 4 1 sewer ogre is sleeping in this section of the maze. A creature using its action to examine the room must succeed on a DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation) check to realize the sewer ogre is here; otherwise, characters are unable to distinguish the ogre from the walls of the maze due to the sewer ogre’s False Appearance trait. Characters might awaken the ogre by making noise while passing through the chamber, by stumbling over its sleeping form, or by any other riotous or loud activities. 146 Paying the Grifter's Guild… a Visit

147 5 This segment of the maze is filled with spikes of metal sticking out of the woven garbage at odd angles. Crossing through the area requires a DC 16 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. On a failure, a creature is able to cross but takes 10 (3d6) slashing damage. On a success, the creature is able to cross without taking damage. 6 A section of the maze falls away, splashing into a tunnel of running water. Each creature standing on that section falls into the water and must succeed on a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check or be swept away, splashing out of the water in a random section of the maze. 7 2d4 drain rats burst from the walls of the maze and attack the characters. 8 Suddenly, the tunnel drops at a steep angle. A creature attempting to traverse the area must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check or tumble down the tunnel 30 feet, taking 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage. Drain Rat Nest Entering this chamber, you note a particularly large amount of human hair and small animal bones matted into grotesque-looking nests that line the walls. Small rivulets of water run through the chamber and, in a few areas, form shallow pools a couple feet deep. As you watch, the woven walls seem to shudder… as if something were moving beneath them. 6 drain rats (1 Stat Block) scurry within the walls of this chamber, making their nests amongst the filth. While within the walls, the drain rats have ¾ cover. In order to determine the location of a drain rat in the wall, a creature must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check. It is possible to sneak through the chamber without the drain rats realizing anything has entered their nest, passing through without the rats emerging from the walls. Doing so requires a successful DC 10 Dexterity (Stealth) check. When a creature attacks a drain rat in the wall or when the drain rats have surrounded the other creatures in the chamber to the best of their ability, they emerge from the wall, jumping toward their prey. If the drain rats attack, read the following aloud: The woven walls of refuse burst open in a disgusting spray of rot and liquid. Horrid, screeching rats the size of a grown man burst from the walls, their mouths dripping with yellow saliva. Many of the creatures are covered in boils and tumors or are sporting extra eyes or limbs—they are clearly diseased. A creature within 5 feet of where a drain rat emerges from the wall is splashed with putrid water and bits of refuse and must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or contract sewer plague. Loot DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check Small cache of “shiny” objects Broken pearl (5 gp) Single earring (1 gp) Dented brass ring (1 sp) Paying the Grifter's Guild… a Visit

Sewer Ogre Hoard Room This large chamber has many tunnels leading away from it. At the center of the chamber is an immense pile of garbage roughly 30 feet tall and 25 feet wide. Every manner of junk, refuse, and trinket—covered in filth—is stuck into the pile. Two smaller piles of refuse rest on the floor of the chamber, each roughly 10 feet wide by 15 feet tall. The large pile of refuse at the center of the chamber is the trash hoard of the sewer ogres. The two smaller piles are sewer ogres (1 Stat Block). If the ogres are moving, a creature can spot them for what they are with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check or a passive Perception of 10 or higher. If the ogres are not moving, a creature must succeed on a DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation) check to discern that the ogres aren’t piles of refuse. If a creature discerns that the two piles are, in fact, sewer ogres before the ogres notice them, read the following aloud: The smaller piles of refuse are moving about, and upon looking closer, you determine that they are not piles of garbage at all but two ogres. They are so covered in filth, and junk strapped to their bodies in such large piles, that they resemble little more than shambling mounds of refuse. The ogres let out low, barking growls, calling to each other. “You smell something?” asks one of the ogres. “Yeah, sweet, sweet smell of feces and muck,” responds the other, picking up what looks like a rat skeleton and tossing it onto the large pile at the center of the room, “Nice addition to the hoard!” 148 Paying the Grifter's Guild… a Visit

149 If the sewer ogres spot the characters before the characters recognize them for what they are, read the following aloud: The smaller piles of refuse suddenly move toward you, and gleaming nocturnal eyes glow from within. You quickly realize that these are not piles of trash but ogres covered in filth with junk strapped to their bodies in such large piles that they resemble little more than shambling mounds of refuse. These disgusting creatures open their mouths in great, bellowing cries, each lowering a pike in your direction. Roleplaying the Sewer Ogres The sewer ogres entered Drain’s End through a large, rusted-out pipe that pours incoming sewage into one of the chambers. The ogres have lived beneath Havdhir for decades, creating interconnecting mazes and storing up hoards of what they consider to be “treasure.” With the discovery of Drain’s End, the ogres are preparing to claim the outpost, seeing it as a wonderful location for acquiring and storing their beloved detritus. The sewer ogres have not yet begun their invasion of Drain’s End and could be convinced to strike up some form of deal or treaty with the Grifter’s Guild. The deal could be leaving Drain’s End completely, or they might consider siding with the guild and using their expert navigation of the sewers and waterways beneath Havdhir to aid the guild. A creature offering the sewer ogres a worthless item has advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks to convince the ogres not to kill the characters and to parlay with them instead. The ogres will gladly accept a deal in which they are gifted a great trove of useless or disgusting items (the more worthless, damaged, or disgusting; the better). The ogres might even be willing to trade some of the “less desirable” items in their possession, essentially trading their items with higher monetary value for the characters’ items of lower monetary value. A sample deal that may result in the ogres leaving Drain’s End alone is an offering of 10 cubic feet of useless items or 500 pounds of junk. Finding anything within the hoard requires a creature to dig through the pile, which is filled with all manner of filth and feces. Each creature that delves into the pile of refuse must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or contract sewer plague. Creatures can climb up the pile, treating it as difficult terrain. The pile can also be burrowed through. A creature moving through the pile in this way moves at ¼ speed and is considered blinded and deafened while it is in the pile. The burrowing creature also has total cover against anything outside of the pile and must hold its breath or begin suffocating. Loot Hoard “Desirable” Items Collection of spoons (5 sp) Glass eye (1 sp) Human skull (1 cp) Moth-eaten teddy bear (1 cp) Rat skeleton (1 cp) Rusted longsword (1 cp) Shattered shield (1 cp) 10x Bottle of filthy water (worthless) Broken flute (worthless) Candle with no wick (worthless) “The Defiler’s Conquests,” a list of mostly female names on tattered paper (worthless) Moldy cheese (worthless) Soggy paper (worthless) “Undesirable” Items 2x Cloth-of-silver vestment (25 gp each) 2x Silk shirt with blackwork embroidery (25 gp each) 2x Gold locket with enameled animals (25 gp each) Small bracelet made of gold chains (25 gp) Velvet mask set with labradorite (25 gp) Bag filled with 2,250 cp What’s Next? If the characters killed the guild enforcers but not the ogres, Drain’s End becomes a base of operations for sewer ogres in Havdhir. If the characters killed the sewer ogres but not the enforcers, Drain’s End returns to its usual activities. Characters who have saved Anna Welfore can return her to her husband, gathering from him a token affording them with free drinks at the Guzzling Goblin. Paying the Grifter's Guild… a Visit

Continuing the Adventure Some Game Masters may wish to continue the story created by this quest. The ideas below are not a part of the main adventure but are suggestions about how to expand upon the events of this quest: • If the characters killed the guild enforcers but not the ogres, and if the ogres have taken over Drain’s End; it is only a matter of time before the guards of Havdhir discover that something is amiss. The characters are sent back to Drain’s End by a local guard captain who asks them to remove the problem of the now rampant sewer ogres flowing out from this area. • The Grifter’s Guild might hear of the characters’ actions in Drain’s End (whether for good or ill). If the characters didn’t kill any of the guild members, the guild reaches out to them with a proposition to work with the guild, stealing some jewelry from a corrupt noble in the city. If the characters killed some of the guild members, the Grifter’s Guild retaliates: sending pickpockets, cat burglars, thieves, and bandits after the characters. If the characters kill one of these vagabonds, they find bounty notice papers on the body and can track down the guild member that ordered the hit. • If the characters did manage to form a truce between the ogres and the Grifter’s Guild, the treaty may eventually decay. The characters may be called once more to form a newer treaty or to choose a side. 150 Grifter's Guild A Key 1 Grifter’s Market 2 Interrogation Room 3 Drain’s End Prison 4 Map Part B JI Jacob Ishmael T Sleeper Dart Trap G Guard FGFemale Guard A Anna Welfore J Jericho Srew S Sally Carthus 1 Square = 5ft. 4 G G G G G S T T T T T JI J 1 FG G 2 3 A Paying the Grifter's Guild… a Visit