Candlekeep Murders: The Deadwinter Prophecy

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY CANDLEKEEP MURDERS WHO KILLED THE KEEPER OF TOMES?

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 2 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon ampersand, Ravnica and all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. All other original material in this work is copyright 2021by Duncan Rhodes and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. CREDITS Designer: Duncan Rhodes Art: James RPG ART, Storn Cook, Matt Morrow, Freehand Transmute, Sade, and numerous works by contributors of Pixabay and Rawpixel. Layout: Duncan Rhodes (theme by Nathaniel Roux) Playtesters: Mark Medvegy, Steve Cole, Francesco Camonita and Corinna Howard. Special Thanks: To the design team and authors behind Candlekeep Mysteries and Ed Greenwood for creating this wonderful location. FOREWORD For some time I’ve been deliberating over a Name of the Rose-inspired murder mystery adventure for D&D. The imagery of weary travellers arriving at a remote monastery in the dead of winter has a certain romantic appeal, while the sinister atmosphere of a body count increasing in an isolated community feels like something that I would like to bring to life on the table. My plans sped up considerably when Candlekeep Mysteries dropped and I knew, without doubt, that I had my location. Especially given that the anthology of adventures published in this official volume barely set foot inside the Great Library, leaving me - and no doubt others - with a bookish itch to scratch. Seekers are famously not allowed beyond the Emerald Door under usual circumstances - but the Keeper of Tomes being murdered is far from usual. The location was set but the hard work was just beginning. I needed motives to kill, clues that the guilty left behind, and a web of secrets to uncover. I started re-reading Arthur Conan Doyle novels, rewatching Agatha Christie adaptations, and I went back to films like Knives Out to fathom what made them great murder mysteries. Once I had revised the genre, I set about constructing a story that used every last piece of lore in Candlekeep Mysteries (plus several more pieces from the excellent Elminster’s Candlekeep Compendium), until I was satisfied I had an adventure that would not only intrigue and bewitch players, but also bring all the excellent published material into play. But then as I looked at the gorgeous map by Mike Schley (inspired, I believe, by that of Marco Bernardini), I still felt that too much of the playground of Candlekeep was left unexplored! How could I bring this beautifully illustrated, but largely unchartered, location into play? By chance I was reading the Da Vinci Code in Spanish (a useful way to pick up new vocabulary when learning a foreign language!), and I loved the idea, depicted in the book’s beginning, of a guardian of worldchanging knowledge who leaves a mystery trail behind him after death. In Candlekeep Murders, therefore, what starts as a murder mystery ends as a treasure hunt that takes players to almost every corner of the Great Library (which I took upon expanding in detail herein: check out the “Inside the Great Library” appendix!) in a bid to reach the Vault of Secrets before the devious Manshoon (the adventure’s hidden antagonist). The result is very much an adventure of two halves: one based on a tightly woven story (where I have done most of the hard work for you!), the other presenting a much more flexible scenario for DMs to adapt or put their own stamp on, using the tools provided. Indeed, one could easily bisect the adventure and just run one half of it (the murder mystery or the treasure hunt), if for some reason only one half appeals, or if perhaps you’re playing under time constraints. That’s it from me… Happy Deadwinter Day to you all! I hope your presents haven’t been tampered with… Duncan Ps. Any questions write to me at [email protected] or visit my blog, where I will be uploading some related posts.

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY 3 Intro: A Murder Mystery Story 4 Janussi (Keeper of Tomes) 4 Bookwyrm (First Reader) 4 Alkrist (Great Reader) 4 A’lai Aivenmore (Great Reader) 5 Deadwinter Holidays 5 Daral Yashenti (Great Reader) 5 Sylvira Savikas (Great Reader) 5 Fheminor Scrivenbark (Great Reader) 5 Teles Ahvoste (Great Reader) 6 Kazryn Nyantani (Great Reader) 6 Kalan Strongbranch (Gatewarden) 6 Fembris Lancer 7 Irony 7 Moziqodo 7 Miss Hollypocket 7 Tadric 7 Minor Characters 7 Ranks of the Avowed 7 Adventure Structure 8 Using this Adventure 8 Awarding Experience 8 Crime Timeline 10 Adventure Timeline 13 Ch 1: A Frosty Reception 16 On a Mission From Waterdeep 16 Revised Theft Protection 17 A Frosty Reception 18 The Deadwinter Prophecy 18 Researching the Prophecies 19 A Belated Welcome 20 Meet Fembris 21 Settling In 22 The Emerald Door 23 Candlekeep Security (The Watchers) 24 Ch 2: Crime & Politics 26 Exaltation 26 Chapter House 26 Great Readers: First Impressions 26 The Gatewarden is Dismissed! 28 The Investigation Begins 28 The Crime Scene 29 Janussi’s Chambers 29 The Corpse 30 Midnight Tears 31 The Desk 32 Rest of the Chamber 33 Candlekeep Heating 34 What Happened Here? 35 Tower Witnesses 36 Miss Hollypocket 36 Queenie the Cat 38 Ch 3: Every Reader Hides a Secret 40 Reporting to Bookwyrm 40 The Case Continues 41 The Southern Dining Hall 41 Deadwinter Supper 43 The Waiters 44 The Great Readers (Interviews) 45 Sylvira Savikas 45 Daral Yashenti 48 A’lai Aivenmore 50 Fheminor Scrivenbark 53 Alkrist 55 Teles Ahvoste 58 Bookwyrm 60 Kazryn Nyantani 62 Kalan Strongbranch (Gatewarden) 64 Meeting Miirym 65 Further Investigations 67 Oak Tree Apothecary 67 The Kitchens 68 Keeper of the Emerald Door 68 Erudite Outfitters 69 The Bath House 69 General Enquiries 69 End of the Day 70 Prayers for Janussi 70 Return to the Outer Ward 71 The Beast of Candlekeep (inc. stat block) 71 Ch 4: Day Two, More Murders! 74 Daral Found Dead! 74 The Gatewarden is Missiing! 75 Pont de Paramours 75 Casketball Tournament 76 A’lai Makes His Move 78 Bookwyrm is Murdered 78 Assault on High Tower 78 Candlekeep Response 79 The Beast Awaits 79 The Cryptogram 80 The Crytpgram Handout 82 Enter Manshoon! 84 Players vs. Manshoon (inc. stat block) 84 Ch 5: The Vault of Secrets 86 Find the Vault 86 Entering the Vault 88 Returning to the Surface 92 Final Confrontation 92 Restoring Calm to Candlekeep 93 Adventure Rewards 93 Inside The Great Library 94 Candlekeep Library Generator 105 CONTENTS

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 4 T he following story is a complex murder mystery, in which each of Candlekeep’s Great Readers - and the Gatewarden - are suspects in the killing of the Keeper of Tomes. In fact, two of the Great Readers have a direct hand in the Keeper’s death, while the First Reader tries to cover their crime. The remaining five Great Readers, currently residing in Candlekeep, all have their own secrets to hide. The following preview of the cast should help DMs keep on top of the main story points, and may be useful to refer back to as an overview of each of the cast’s motivations and role in the adventure. Each protagonist has their own more detailed section later in Chapter 3 that you can refer to for more info. VISUAL AIDS I suggest you find a cool fantasy image (Pinterest is a great place to search) to represent each of the protagonists, which will help both you and your players put faces to names. A Whatsapp group or Discord server is a great way to share them with your players. JANUSSI (KEEPER OF TOMES) Janussi (archmage) is a male human of 69 years who is found murdered in his chamber, just a few hours prior to the party’s arrival at Candlekeep. Although his heart has been hacked from his body, his actual cause of death was midnight tears poison (see p.258 of the DMG), which had been smeared on the pages of The Golden Ass, the book he received from Daral Yashenti as a Deadwinter gift, the night before. He ingested the poison while licking his fingers between turning the pages. It was not Daral who applied the poison to Daral’s gift, however, but another Great Reader - Alkrist. Meanwhile, it was Alkrist’s aunt, Bookwyrm, who removed Janussi’s heart some 2 hours later (to prevent the Keeper from easily being resurrected) and then hid the heart in the chalice of a lead statue. BOOKWYRM (FIRST READER) Bookwyrm, real name Skoda Vanaster, is a 55- year-old, female dragonborn (green) master sage. She is the acting head of Candlekeep, at the start of this story, after Janussi's demise. After welcoming the heroes to Candlekeep, she removes Kalan Strongbranch from the murder investigation and puts the unqualified players in charge, believing they are less likely to solve the crime than the Gatewarden. While she is not directly involved in the murder plot, it is she who sneaks into the Keeper's bedchamber in the early hours of the morning and removes the heart from his dead body, so that he cannot easily be resurrected - hoping to prevent the impulsive crime committed by her beloved nephew, Alkrist, coming to light. She performs this night mission while magically disguised as Sylvira Savikas. While in the Keeper’s chamber she also steals the key to Candlekeep's forbidden High Tower Library from Janussi’s neck. ALKRIST (GREAT READER) Alkrist is a ruthless 33-year-old male dragonborn (bronze) master sage, and Bookwyrm's beloved nephew. When Alkrist discovers, on Deadwinter’s Eve, that Janussi is about to name his successor - and that the new Keeper is to be Fheminor Scrivenbark and not his aunt, or one of his allies - he conspires with A’lai Aivenmore to murder the Keeper. He does so by stealing a vial of midnight tears poison from the Oak Tree Apothecary and applying this toxic dust to the gift, which Daral Yashenti has placed beneath the Evergreen Tree for Janussi as a Deadwinter present. INTRODUCTION: A MURDER MYSTERY STORY

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY 5 When, at midnight, Alkrist boasts to his aunt, Bookwyrm, that he has taken of their problems, the First Reader is angered by his crime, but decides to try and cover for him. A'LAI AIVENMORE (GREAT READER) A’lai is a charismatic, scheming theologian and philosopher who craves power and immortality. The 47-year-old master sage is in cahoots with Manshoon, the infamous wizard and founder of the Zhentarim, for whom he has been pilfering valuable tomes from Candlekeep’s libraries. When Janussi discovers A’lai’s theft and threatens to exile him, the Great Reader seizes the opportunity to conspire with Alkrist to murder the Keeper of Tomes (helping the dragonborn sage steal a vial of midnight tears poison from the Oak Tree Apothecary, by distracting Leuwin the druid). On the following dawn, A’lai risks going to the Keeper’s chambers, hoping to steal the key to the High Tower Library, but finds it gone. A’lai is the foremost antagonist of this story, and on the night of Deadwinter Day, he binds the Beast of Candlekeep to his will and murders first the Gatewarden, and then Bookwyrm, in order to obtain a key to the forbidden High Tower Library. DEADWINTER HOLIDAYS Deadwinter’s Eve marks the winter equinox and end of the calendar year in Faerûn. Traditions vary, but on the Sword Coast the evening is typically marked by a large meal (up to 12 courses) and the exchanging of gifts. An Evergreen Tree, decorated with ribbons and baubles, symbolises that life prevails even in winter, and carries the hope of spring. Deadwinter Day, also known as the 1st Claw of Winter, is the first day of the new year and a widely-observed holiday on the Sword Coast. The period of Deadwinter is a quiet time in Candlekeep. Seekers rarely brave the winter storms to travel to the library, while lowerranked members of the Avowed are given special dispensation to leave the library and visit family. DARAL YASHENTI (GREAT READER) Daral is a 48-year-old, human master sage whose alcoholism has repeatedly caused friction with the Keeper of Tomes in the past. He becomes a prime murder suspect after drunkenly bursting into Janussi's chambers after the Deadwinter Supper and stealing back his Deadwinter gift, a book called The Golden Ass. The theft causes a tussle in which Daral accidentally breaks the Keeper's nose with the book, bloodying his own sleeve. Unbeknownst to Daral, Alkrist had poisoned the pages of The Golden Ass with midnight tears, causing Janussi to die at midnight. On Deadwinter Day, Daral too leafs through the book and his own life is endangered. SYLVIRA SAVIKAS (GREAT READER) Sylvira is a 41-year-old female tiefling archmage, who is the object of fear and jealousy in Candlekeep owing to her powerful magic, fascination with fiends, and her relationship with the Keeper of Tomes (the two are lovers). She has a huge argument with Janussi on the morning of Deadwinter's Eve, during which the Keeper gives her an ultimatum to send her demonspawn son out of the library. “The Beast of Candlekeep” has been spotted with increasingly frequency and needs to go, before something untowards happens! The fact that Sylvira was spotted (by Miss Hollypocket and Queenie the cat) leaving the Keeper's chambers late at night (it was in fact Bookwyrm, using disguise self) and that a button of hers can be found at the crime scene makes her a prime murder suspect. FHEMINOR SCRIVENBARK (GREAT READER) Fheminor is a 90-year-old female halfling (middle-aged for a halfling) master sage, who is considered staid and old-fashioned by her colleagues.

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 6 On the morning of Deadwinter's Eve, Fheminor is told by Janussi that he will be officially naming her his successor on the morrow, if she is willing to take the job. Later that day, she goes to the Keeper's chambers to accept the role. However, Janussi doesn’t live to make his public announcement, dying that night. Fheminor suspects that one of the other Great Readers wants to be Keeper and was willing to murder Janussi before the announcement was made - for the chance of winning the resulting vote (if a Keeper dies and no successor has been named, the next Keeper is determined by a vote of the Great Readers). She suspects the party may be fake investigators acting on the behalf of the killer. TELES AHVOSTE (GREAT READER) Teles is a 72-year-old, human male. The talented and arrogant archmage feels like he should have been chosen for the job of Keeper of Tomes, when it was last available. Considered an oddball by his colleagues, Teles has started to closely mentor a young member of the Avowed named Irony, a relationship that has raised eyebrows. He has a loud argument with Janussi on the morning of Deadwinter Eve, when the Keeper forbids him from seeing her. Believing Bookwyrm to be the murderer, Teles plans to blackmail her into naming him the new First Reader, or even the Keeper of Tomes. He has no respect for the players’ investigation. KAZRYN NYANTANI (GREAT READER) Kazryn is a 55-year-old female human master sage. She was once Janussi's young lover, before she was turfed for the even younger and prettier Sylvira. A brilliant academic mind, Kazryn is still rather bitter about being spurned and now finds comforts in the arms of A’lai Aivenmore. Kazryn had nothing to do with the murder of Janussi and is hurt by the death of the man she still loves. She is keen to help the investigation, and knows nothing of A’lai’s involvement. WHERE’S VZIIR-AG? An 8th Great Reader called V’ziir-Ag (see p.10 of Candlekeep Mysteries) plays no part in this story. Ambitious DMs might create their own storyline for the gith master sage, or even use him as the big bad behind the scenes, in lieu of Manshoon. Otherwise his absence is explained by the fact that he’s away conducting research. KALAN STRONGBRANCH (GATEWARDEN) Kalan is a 67-year-old male human archmage, who is in charge of Candlekeep's security, but has a frosty relationship with the Keeper of Tomes. They were both in love with Sylvira Savikas, but Kalan lost out for her affections to Janussi. Kalan's continued affection for the tiefling is such that he has ignored the rumours of “the Beast of Candlekeep” that have reached his ears, choosing to protect Sylvira's demonspawn son (he discovered this secret many years ago). Meanwhile, in the course of his private arcane research, Kalan has succeeded in making contact with the god of a long dead world. The god’s divine insights are affecting the Gatewarden’s sanity. Noticing Kalan’s declining mental faculties, Janussi tells the Gatewarden to resign his post or be fired, during a one-toone meeting. Kalan takes the news badly, but the Keeper of Tomes doesn’t live long enough to follow up on his promise, and instead Kalan is tasked with investigating Janussi’s death. Fearing he might discover the truth, Bookwyrm dismisses him from the case, putting the heroes in charge of the investigation instead. Once removed from the case, Kalan prefers to focus on his private research, rather than help the party, feeling that he is close to a breakthrough. As Gatewarden, Kalan holds one of only two keys to the High Tower Library.

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY 7 FEMBRIS LANCER Fembris is an enthusiastic and callow acolyte of the Avowed who is assigned to the heroes as their adjutant. He is only too happy to help them in any way he can. He is in love with Irony and the two of them witnessed a strange incident when they ran up the Bell Tower at midnight of Deadwinter’s Eve. IRONY Irony is a prodigiously talented 18-year-old tiefling acolyte whose brains and beauty have been noted by not only her immediate peers, but also by the likes of Great Reader, Teles Ahvoste. She was one of three acolytes who served the Great Readers their Deadwinter Supper. MOZIQODO Begotten of Sylvira Savikas and a powerful demon of the Abyss, Moziqodo roams the rooftops of Candlekeep at night, shrouded in darkness, leading to rumours of the existence of a “Beast of Candlekeep”. On the night of Deadwinter Day he is bound by A’lai Aivenmore and ordered to murder the Gatewarden… the next day his killing spree continues. MISS HOLLYPOCKET Janussi’s servant, the elderly gnome saw all the comings and goings of the Great Readers who visited the Keeper both during the day and by night. TADRIC The Gatewarden’s right hand man, Tadric becomes chief of security after Kalan is murdered. Before he dies, Kalan entrusts Tadric with the second key to the High Tower Library. MINOR CHARACTERS SPRIG SUMMERFOOT Not only did Sprig help serve Deadwinter Supper, but she also saw ‘Sylvira’ (actually Bookwyrm in disguise) in the kitchens after midnight, making her an important witness. ORRIN GLASS The talented cartographer has a near perfect visual recall and, if prompted, can share some curious details he observed while serving Deadwinter Supper. LEUWIN The elderly satyr runs the Oak Tree Apothecary from where the murder weapon - a vial of midnight tears - was stolen. He was visited by Fheminor and A’lai on the day of the theft. RANKS OF THE AVOWED The Keeper of Tomes, followed by the First Reader, followed by the Great Readers are the highest ranking of the Avowed, while the Gatewarden and his team of Watchers (see p.24), as well as the Lorekeeper command special respect but sit apart from the main hierarchy (see Candlekeep Mysteries). The rest of the Avowed are divided into the following ranks. LOREMASTERS Loremasters are long-serving members of the Avowed whose research is considered important enough that they are all but exempt from non-academic duties. In addition to publishing critical theses, Loremasters are tasked with the daily instruction of Scribes and Acolytes via lectures, seminars and workshops. Most Loremasters hope to become a Great Reader in time. SCRIBES Scribes make up the vast majority of the Avowed. They are charged with categorising the collections of the Great Library, aiding Great Readers and Loremasters with their research, serving at the House of the Binder, and performing their fair share of menial tasks to boot. They are afforded time for their private research, and have a curfew of midnight. ACOLYTES Acolytes are recently sworn-in members of the Avowed, to whom the most unpleasant tasks fall. In addition to endless hours cleaning, fetching and carrying, acolytes perform the role of adjutants to the library’s many seekers (non-Avowed visitors in search of knowledge), ferrying the tomes they require from the Great Library to the Pillars of Pedagoy - and back again. Curfew for all acolytes is 11pm.

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 8 KEI TIGERSTEEL Candlekeep’s Lorekeeper is the spiritual head of the community, and often sits on the council of Great Readers. He plays a perfunctory role in the story. ADVENTURE STRUCTURE Candlekeep Murders is divided into two distinct parts. The first involves the investigation of the death of the Keeper of Tomes, in which the player’s ongoing investigations takes place during a described series of events. The players will enjoy the freedom of Candlekeep to investigate in their own way, but the mysteries are likely to unfold quicker than they are able to solve them. The second part of The Deadwinter Prophecy resembles more of a treasure hunt than a murder mystery and pits the players against Manshoon and his cronies in a race to find Candlekeep’s fabled Vault of Secrets. The party will need to decide what strategy to adopt to deal with this scenario, and how best to use the resources available to them. Given its openness, events in this second part of the adventure are not prescribed by the author: it will be up to DMs to determine Manshoon’s strategy and improvise his responses to the players actions. USING THIS ADVENTURE Candlekeep Murders has been designed specifically to bring all the lore from the excellent Candlekeep Mysteries official D&D publiction into play, while providing much of what can’t be conveyed in the short format of the book’s anthology of 17 adventures. Namely complex mysteries to resolve. Aside from a copy of Candlekeep Mysteries being a near essential companion for this adventure, Candlekeep Murders also references the core rulebooks, and borrows a villain from Waterdeep: Dragon Heist (a copy is not required as the stat block is included within). A copy of Elminster’s Candlekeep Companion lorebook (available on the DMs Guild) will also be useful, but not essential. As usual, use of bold type indicates a stat block you can find in the Monster Manual, or wherever the text in parentheses directs you. CANDLEKEEP LORE, FACTS & ADVICE Find advice specific to Candlekeep and this adventure in the faded blood red box outs. DUNGEON MASTER’S ADVICE Find DM notes and some general advice on running the game in the grey-blue box outs. Text in an orange box is narrative text, to fire the imagination. Shorter passages can be read out loud. AWARDING EXPERIENCE Experience is Dungeons & Dragons is mostly awarded for defeating monsters in combat, however the majority of Candlekeep Murders: The Deadwinter Prophecy is a test of the players’ wits and skills than their prowess with sword or spellbook. Additionally, at points during the adventure, the DM may wish to keep the investigation going either by allowing the players’ characters to solve problems with a die roll (i.e. their character joins the dots, when the player themselves was stumped), or by having an NPC deliver vital information. For a combination of those reasons I would suggest offering XP rewards for smart thinking and correct deductions. It’s possible that the heroes might reach the end of the adventure without figuring out who the murderer is (or rather murderers are). In this case, we still want to reward players for what they did get right. Try keeping tab of both successful skills checks and, more importantly, pieces of smart thinking, correct deductions and puzzle solving. At the end of the adventure offer a reward for the former (suggest 25-100 XP, depending on their importance) and a higher award for the latter (suggest 100-250 XP).

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY 9

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 10 CRIME TIMELINE DEADWINTER’S EVE Hour Event / Meeting What Happened Who Witnessed it… 8 am Janussi end of year meeting with Kalan Strongbranch Concerned that Kalan has become mentally unstable, Janussi tells the Gatewarden to tend his resignation or be fired. Miss Hollypocket sees Kalan storm out of the meeting. 8:30 am Janussi end of year meeting with Bookwyrm Janussi updates Bookwyrm on the situation with the Gatewarden. He also tells her that he plans to retire in one year’s time, and that he will be naming his successor tomorrow. It’s not Bookwyrm, but he hopes he can count on her support. 9 am Janussi end of year meeting with Teles Ahvoste Teles is told to stop to stop mentoring the young tiefling Irony. He's making a fool of himself. A shouting match ensues, with Teles calling Janussi a hypocrite. Miss Hollypocket hears an argument. 9:15 am Bookwyrm speaks with her nephew, Alkrist(in draconic) Bookwyrm confides in her nephew, Alkrist, that Janussi will name his successor tomorrow and that it won't be her. Alkrist hopes that it will be A'lai instead. Nax Olossis overheard snippets while cleaning 9:30 am Janussi end of year meeting with Alkrist Janussi tells Alkrist he must destroy his research into arcane pestilence and focus on other projects. Alkrist is enraged, but appears to accept the Keeper's decree, believing that his ally A'lai will be Keeper within the year. 10 am Janussi end of year meeting with Fheminor Janussi tells Fheminor that he will publicly name her his successor, as Keeper of Tomes, on the morrow, if she agrees to take the role. A’lai sees Fheminor leave meeting with a spring in her step 10:15 am Kalan Strongbranch meets with Sylvira in her chamber Kalan approaches Sylvira and asks her to intercede on his behalf with Janussi to let him keep his job. Sylvira assures him she will speak to Janussi after Deadwinter Supper when he's had a few wines and is in a good mood. A’lai runs into Kalan on the stairs in Reader’s Tower. 10:30 am Janussi end of year meeting with A'lai Aivenmore Janussi tells A'lai he has 10 days to replace missing books, or he will be exiled from Candlekeep. 11:00 am Janussi end of year meeting with Daral. Daral drops off his present for Janussi under the Evergreen Tree on his way to their meeting. Janussi tells Daral he needs to sell ‘unscholarly’ poetry to raise funds for an expanded library on the Wheels of the Plane. A shouting match ensues. Miss Hollypocket hears an argument. 11:15 am Alkristspeaks with A'lai Aivenmore Alkrist discovers from A'lai that A'lai is more likely to be exiled than named Janussi's successor, and that Fheminor (an ideological opponent of Alkrist) is the most likely candidate. They agree to meet at the baths. 11:30 pm Janussi end of year meeting with Sylvira Janussi tells Sylvira that he knows about her demonspawn son and that he can't stay in Candlekeep. A fierce argument ensues. Sylvira blasts an armchair with magic missile, and storms out calling Janussi a ‘traitor’. Miss Hollypocket and Kazryn hear their argument. 11:45 pm Alkrist and A'lai Aivenmore plot at the baths Alkrist proposes a plot (inspired by a book he's reading... 1001 Tashalan Nights) to murder Janussi before he names a successor, instigating a vote to decide the next Keeper of Tomes. A’lai is very happy to collaborate. Alkrist demands to be named First Reader in return for murdering Janussi and voting for A'lai. Jacinta, the baths attendant, witnessed the pair whispering and cagey. 12:00 pm Janussi end of year meeting with Kazryn Janussi praises Kazryn's work in the day's only civilised meeting. 2:30 pm Fheminor goes to the Oak Tree Apothecary Fheminor goes to see Leuwin at the Oak Tree Apothecary for some cold medicine. This entirely innocent meeting might cast false suspicion on Fheminor. Leuwin and his pet squirrel, Nibbles, plus A’lai who spies her leaving.

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY 11 Hour Event What Happened Who Witnessed it… 3 pm A'lai Aivenmore goes to the Oak Tree Apothecary A'lai goes to see Leuwin, at the Oak Tree Apothecary, and asks for fresh fennel, which he knows the satyr keeps in a greenhouse below the tree-house pharmacy. He claims fennel tea is good for calming certain unpleasant symptoms of overindulging during this time of year. Leuwin and his pet squirrel, Nibbles. 3:15 pm Alkristsneaks into the Oak Tree Apothecary Alkrist sneaks into the Oak Tree Apothecary and steals a vial of midnight tears from a top shelf. In doing so, he spills a vial of ground peppermint on the counter and floor, some of which ends up on his cassock. He attempts to clean the mess with a rag and push it under the counter along with the broken vial. While Leuwin is out, Nibbles see a “big lizardskin” enter the pharmacy. 4 pm Alkrist goes to the Southern Dining Hall Alkrist goes to the Deadwinter Tree, unwraps Daral's present for Janussi, covers it in midnight tears and carefully rewraps it. He then tears the label off the empty poison vial and ties it to the back of the Deadwinter tree as a decoration. He is burning the vial's label, using a candle, when Irony and Orrin Glass arrive to lay the table for supper. He feigns to be lighting his pipe. Irony and Orrin Glass witness Alkrist acting shifty. 5 pm Deadwinter Supper. The Keeper, First Reader and all the Great Readers attend. Alkrist talks about the new topic of research he's planning to embark on next year. Teles jokes its as likely to succeed as Fheminor's S.H.I.T.S. programme. Janussi replies by asking for more solidarity and support for one another in the year to come. Daral scoffs and Sylvira storms out. Teles passes a note to Irony (which she drops). Aside from all the Great Readers being present, Irony, Orrin Glass and Sprig Summerfoot serve the supper. 7:30 pm Deadwinter presents As the supper becomes awkward, Kazryn suggests maybe its time to collect gifts and retire. Every Great Reader takes their allotted present from under the Evergreen Tree. Janussi unwraps his - a book called The Golden Ass - and retires, throwing the wrapping paper in a waste basket. Orrin Glass notices that the string of Janussi’s present was retied. 8 pm Janussi retires to his chambers Janussi sits down at his desk and starts making notes on The Golden Ass, getting midnight tears on his fingers in the process, which he then licks to turn the page. Janussi says goodnight to Miss Hollypocket en route. 9 pm Fheminor visits Janussi Fheminor pays a visit to Janussi, in order to formally accept the succession. Miss Hollypocket sees Fheminor arriving and leaving. 10:30 pm Daral visits Janussi A drunk Daral bursts in to Janussi's chambers to give the Keeper of Tomes a piece of his mind. He seizes back his Deadwinter gift, smashing Janussi in the nose with the book during a brief struggle and provoking a nose bleed. He then storms out. Janussi locks his door. Miss Hollypocket sees Daral arriving and leaving, hears an almighty row. 11:00 pm Daral arrives at the Hearth Daral arrives at the Hearth visibly shaken and orders several brandies. He eventually returns to his chambers around 3am, nearly forgetting his book in the process. Little One sees Daral’s perturbed state. The barkeep notices a bloodstain on Daral’s sleeve. 11:30 pm Sylvira sets off to visit her son, Mosiqodo Sylvira sneaks out of Exaltation and goes to visit her demonspawn son, meeting him on an elevated walkway leading to the Cursed Tower. She tries to coax him back into the mordenkainen's mansion she constructed for him, gently at first but then forcefully. He lashes out and bites her, infecting her with Abyssal Plague. Irony and Fembris see some of this encounter, and Kazryn sees Sylvira heading back. 11:45 pm Irony and Fembrisrace up the Bell Tower, as a romantic dare. Irony arrives at the top of the Bell Tower first and, while looking over Candlekeep, she sees what looks to be Sylvira (a humanoid with horns and a tail) talking to a huge black beast with enormous torso and tail. Fembris arrives and the two acolytes catch a glimpse of a what looked like a struggle, but not more - they are forced to huddle down and cover their ears, as the bells peal.

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 12 Hour Event What Happened Who Witnessed it… 11:45 pm Teles heads to the Lecture Theatre to meet Irony. Teles sneaks out of Reader's Tower, to meet Irony in the Lecture Theatre in the High Tower. Irony (having dropped the note he passed her) doesn’t show, but a hopeful Teles waits over 2 hrs before giving up and heading back to his chamber. Teles is seen sneaking around by Kayne the Watcher, recently relieved from his shift guarding the High Tower Library 12 am Janussi Dies! Janussi is reading at his desk when the midnight tears poison takes effect. He drops his quill, knocks over his chair and falls dead on his face, chipping a tooth in the process. A sleepy Miss Hollypocket hears a bump in the night. 12 am Alkrist and Bookwyrm argue (in draconic) As the bells toll midnight, Alkrist gloats to his aunt that he has solved their problems by poisoning the Keeper of Tomes. Bookwyrm is appalled by his callousness and stupidity, and the two argue. The First Reader racks her brains on how to cover up her nephew’s crime. Their arguing is heard by Fheminor and Kazryn. While awake, Kazryn glances out of her window and sees Sylvira. 1:15 am Bookwyrm goes to kitchens to steal meat cleaver After revising certain important spells (disguise self, silence, knock, speak with dead) Bookwyrm casts disguise selfto appear like Sylvira Savikas and goes to the kitchens to steal a meat cleaver. She runs into Sprig Summerfoot, silently points at her throat and takes a pot of honey as a cover story. Sprig Summerfoot runs into ‘Sylvira’ while looking for cookies. The Great Reader appeared to have a sore throat. 1:30 am Bookwyrm breaks into Janussi’s chamber Bookwyrm dispels the arcane lock on the Keeper’s door, and, having cast silence around on the door’s mundane lock, uses knock to break into chamber. She then castsspeak with dead on Janussi’s body (to prevent others from doing so), flips it over, and hacks out the Keeper’s heart, in a bid to prevent him from being resurrected. She also steals the key to the High Tower Library. Queenie the cat sees Sylvira arrive and leave, but noticed that she smells different. Miss Hollypocket thinks she saw Sylvira leaving around 2am, her face lit by candlelight. 2 am Bookwyrm hides the Keeper’s heart and meat cleaver Bookwyrm hurries to the Southern Dining Hall in order to hide the Keeper’s heart and the meat cleaver in the lead chalice of the statue of Milil (she chooses this hiding place as the lead will protect them from being found with the locate objectspell). 2:15 am Bookwyrm returns to her chambers Bookwyrm returns to her chambers, just ahead of the returning Teles. Teles sees 'Sylvira' going into Bookwyrm’s chamber, and realises something is afoot. DEADWINTER DAY 7am Bookwyrm goes to the baths Bookwyrm goes to cleanse herself and to dispose of her bloodstained cloak. The streams running out of Candleleep to sea have frozen overnight (she had hoped to throw them in one), and so she is forced to dump her cloak in the bins behind Erudite Outfitters instead. The on-duty Keeper of the Emerald Door (Deidran) sees her go round the back of Erudite Outfitters. 7:15 am A’lai Aivenmore goes to Janussi’s chambers A'lai arrives at Janussi’s at dawn to secure the key to the High Tower Library, however he finds it gone already. He is forced to use the spell knock to break open the Keeper's safe (placing a statue on the ground to account for the loud noise made by the spell). He finds what he's looking for: the sapphire component used for the spell Pilar's instant summons.He steals it, then – anticipating the arrival of Miss Hollypocket - assumes a state of shock. Miss Hollypocket hears a loud bang and rushes up in her dressing gown to check on the Keeper… she finds him dead with A’lai sitting in an armchair in a state of shock. 7:45 am The alarm is raised and Kalan Strongbranch arrives The Gatewarden is summoned, and he arrives on the crime scene around 8 am, and makes a brief inspection. He orders the chamber to be cordoned off and posts a Watcher to ensue no one interferes with the scene. He then declares a state of emergency and personally goes to oversee the deployment of additional Watchers in key areas around Candlekeep’s Inner Ward, including the doubling of the guard at the High Tower Library.

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY 13 ADVENTURE TIMELINE Hour Event What (Likely) Happens… Who Witnessed it… c. 9 am The heroes arrive at Candlekeep The heroes arrive at Candlekeep, but the gates are closed and no one answers their calls for some time. Meanwhile, they hear snippets of the Endless Chant (specifically the Deadwinter Prophecy) echoing down from the Court of Air. A snowstorm starts. c. 10:30 am The heroes are admitted to Candlekeep - on one condition A grumpy Watcher goes to tell Bookwyrm about the new arrivals. After an hour or so the First Reader arrives at the gates herself. She welcomes the party, tells them about the situation and offers them shelter if they will investigate the Keeper’s death. c. 10:30 am A’lai Aivenmore visits the Smithy & Stables in the Court of Air A’lai Aivenmore goes to the smithies to borrow a hammer. Shortly after, he uses the hammer to crush the sapphire he stole from Janussi’s safe (the sapphire is the material component of the Pilar’s instant summonsspell, linked to the key of the High Tower Library) and learns that the key is on Bookwyrm’s person. The heroes almost run into A’lai as they go to stable their horses. c. 11 am The heroes get settled Bookwyrm assigns Fembris Lancer to the party as their adjutant, and he helps them settle into the House of Rest, and ensures they are well fed at the Hearth, all the while informing them about the rules (and gossip) at Candlekeep. The snowstorm rages outside. 11 am The Gatewarden conducts his examination Having secured the citadel, Kalan Strongbranch returns to the crime scene to conduct a more thorough investigation. Tadric the Watcher stands guard. c. 12 pm The heroes meet the council of Great Readers The heroes are introduced to the council of Great Readers, currently in session in the Chapter House of Exaltation. The party’s credentials are questioned (but likely accepted) whereas the Gatewarden - who arrives mid-meeting - is dismissed from the investigation before he can share his findings. c. 1 pm The heroes investigate the crime scene Bookwyrm leads the heroes to the Keeper’s chambers and leaves them to investigate. From 2 pm The heroes may interview witnesses and suspects The heroes are given an office and authority to interview anyone in Candlekeep (although not everyone obeys their summons). In tracking down some of the more reluctant interviewees they may end up exploring parts of Candlekeep’s Great Library. 7:00 pm Prayers are held for Janussi (the heroes are invited) The party are invited to attend a religious service, held in the Oratory, to honour the legacy of Janussi, pray for his soul’s passage to the afterlife and justice for his killer. They overhear certain revealing gossip and see A’lai Aivenmore receive a book (in which are hidden Iron Bands of Bilbarro), sent to him by Manshoon. The heroes themselves. 8 pm The heroes must retire from the Great Library. Once the prayers for Janussi are over, Bookwyrm tells the party they must retire now to the House of Rest, and leave the Great Library. As they cross the Court of Air, they catch sight of ‘The Beast of Candlekeep’ running across the rooftops of Exaltation. They are not allowed to re-enter the Great Library however. 8:30 pm The heroes dine at the Hearth Food is prepared for the heroes at the Hearth, and the investigators may wish to discuss their findings, ready to resume proceedings on the morrow. 9:30 pm A’lai binds Moziqodo to his will A'lai tracks down Moziqodo (The Beast of Candlekeep) at the Cursed Tower by casting locate creature. The Great Reader levitates up to the top of the tower. He then ensnares the demonspawn with the Iron Bands of Bilarro, and casts planar binding. In doing so, he makes Moziqodo his pawn. No one - a thick, cold mist settles over Candlekeep that night.

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 14 Hour Event What (Likely) Happens… Who Witnessed it… 11 pm A’laisends a note to the Gatewarden Having bound Moziqodo to his will, A'lai writes a note to Kalan Strongbranch, in Sylvira's handwriting. The note reads: 'Meet me at the Pont de Paramours at midnight. Let none see you' A'lai wants to secure the second key to the High Tower Library, held by the Gatewarden, and believes it will be easier to isolate and dispose of Kalan rather than Bookwyrm, who rarely leaves Exaltation. No one - a thick, cold mist settles over Candlekeep that night. 12 am The Gatewarden is murdered by A’lai and Moziqodo The Beast of Candlekeep surprises Kalan Strongbranch on the Pont de Paramours, and snatches the lead locket containing the key to the High Tower Library, before pushing him to his death. The key, however, has been replaced with a worthless symbol of Tyr. A Watcher on the walls thought they saw a figure heading through the mist towards the Grove. 12 am Daral dies If the heroes don't intervene, Daral Yashenti suffers a heart attack from midnight tears and drowns, while trying to sweat out his hangover, in the Bath House. (At some point during the day he had leafed through The Golden Ass, the book he stole back from the Keeper, and which Alkrist had poisoned). 2 am A’laicontacts Manshoon for help Frustrated that Kalan has clearly hidden the second key to the High Tower Library, A’lai tells Moziqodo to hide in the Bell Tower until further instruction, and contacts Manshoon for advice. Manshoon encourages the Great Reader to look for an opportunity to kill Bookwyrm and take her key ASAP. A restless Kazryn went to visit A’lai in his quarters, but was waved away… 2ND CLAW OF WINTER 7:30 am Daral’s body is discovered Jacinta, the Bath House attendant, discovers Daral, apparently drowned. She raises the alarm. 7:45 am The heroes are alerted Roused by the commotion, the smithy goes to wake the heroes, and they may choose to investigate the unexpected death. c. 9:30 am The heroes must report to Bookwyrm Bookwyrm asks the heroes what they’ve discovered so far about Janussi’s (and Daral’s) death, and if they are close to identifying the killer. During the meeting Tadric the Watcher arrives and reports that the Gatewarden is missing. c. 10 am The heroes investigate the Gatewarden’s disappearance The heroes are asked to investigate the disappearance of the Gatewarden, which should lead them to the Pont de Paramours. Here they find evidence he has been murdered, including broken rails, blood, broken chain links and clawed footprints. From noon The heroes continue their investigations Heroes must choose what avenues to investigate and which Great Readers to cross examine. 2:30 pm Casketball Tournament (the heroes are invited to watch and partake). The Avowed hold their traditional Casketball Tournament in the Oval Theatre, in a bid to maintain normality. The heroes are invited to participate. Bookwyrm retires early to her office. 4 pm A’lai and Moziqodo murder Bookwyrm Moziqodo kills Bookwyrm in her office in Exaltation. A’lai takes the key to the High Tower Library. 4:15 pm Assault on the High Tower Library A’lai and Moziqodo quickly dispatch the two Watchers guarding the High Tower Library, flinging one from the window. A’lai breaks into the library and orders Moziqodo to guard the door. Those in the Oval Theatre (likely the heroes) 4:15 pm A’laishuts down the Candlekeep wards The library, in fact, is devoid of books except for one that displays a cryptogram. The library does contain the energy orb that powers Candlekeep’s ancient wards - A’lai shuts it down and gives the signal to Manshoon via sending.

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY 15 Hour Event What (Likely) Happens… Who Witnessed it… 4:15 pm The heroesfly to High Tower. A fight ensues. Seeing the wards shut down, Tadric the Watcher castsfly on the heroes and they speed to the High Tower Library, where they must face the Beast of Candlekeep. Sylvira Savikas arrives and tries to protect her son. 4:20 pm The heroes enter the High Tower Library Tadric gives the heroes the second key to the High Tower Library and they may enter the library. They find the cryptogram, and Tadric will start the process of bringing the wards back online. There’s no sign of anyone however (A’lai uses a scroll of dimension doorto return to his chamber). 4.20 pm Enter Manshoon! With the citadel-library’s defenses down, Manshoon’s simulacrum teleports into Candlekeep with a marauding force of assassins, mages and other miscreants. They immediately assault the Sea Warden tower, killing the majority of Watchers there and sending the remainder fleeing. Ongoing Heroes vs. Manshoon in hunt for the Vault of Secrets. Plus Candlekeep politics. The heroes learn of the existence of Candlekeep’s Vault of Secrets and why the world depends on them finding it before whoever is behind this coup. They must solve the clues on the cryptogram to reveal the riddle, which in turn reveals the location of the vault. Solving these clues will take them to all corners of the Great Library. The enemy meanwhile has the same information and is hunting for the answers to the same clues, meaning run-ins are inevitable. Meanwhile, the heroes must manage Candlekeep politics as Teles makes a powerplay for leadership, and others are ready to side with or undermine the party from within the Exaltation. - The Vault of Secrets The heroes hopefully locate the Vault of Secrets before Manshoon and his cronies. If so they must answer three questions about Candlekeep or fight the vault’s guardian. Once they have accessed the mysteries within the vault, they must decide whether to safeguard, steal or destroy its contents. In all cases, Manshoon will likely be waiting for them when they leave. - Restoring calm to Candlekeep The heroes will need to resolve the chaos surrounding Candlekeep, including bringing murderer(s) to justice and overseeing a vote for the new Keeper of Tomes. Note: You don’t need to learn all the content provided in these timelines! They provide a detailed, blow-by-blow reference that you can fall back on if you lose track of events and how they unravelled.

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 16 Y ou had heard stories of the grandeur of Candlekeep, but had always supposed them to be wild exaggerations and traveller's tales. Now, as Faerûn's most famous library rears up before you, on a craggy volcanic headland, beset by stormy winter seas, you see that none of those accounts were close to capturing the breathtaking beauty and scale of the keep. The library's eastern wall alone must stretch over fifty feet high, presenting a formidable bulwark between the fortified island and the outside world, while beyond this rampart an inner wall rises twice as high. Behind the protection of the latter, scores of towers, steeples and spires soar skywards – like candles on a wedding cake (you suddenly realise how the fortress got its name!) - all iced with a crisp layer of snow. Sitting imperiously atop a third, yet higher, defensive wall is an at once elegant, yet imposing, citadel. Its central spire seems to scrape the very heavens as its apex crackles with arcane white light. This building, you realise, must be Exaltation, where the library's legion of scholars and monks live, pray and study. ON A MISSION FROM WATERDEEP It's Deadwinter’s Day, the start of the new year in Faerûn and the first dawn after the winter equinox. It’s a poor season to be travelling, but the party's patron, Magnus Goldfist of the Lords' Alliance, insisted that the heroes make all haste from Waterdeep to Candlekeep and charged them with bringing back a copy of a book, which he claims is of the utmost importance to the North. The book is a war diary called: The Lurkwood Campaign: How I Repelled the Savage Hordes by General Levicus. Goldfist sent the heroes on their way with fast horses and a promise of 500 gold pieces each, plus a finely-forged blade or suit of armour of their choice, as a reward. He told them his contact at Candlekeep is a dragonborn scholar named Alkrist, who will deliver the book to them, which will hopefully be fully transcribed by the House of the Binder, the library's scriptorium, by the time they arrive. The adventurers are to deliver Alkrist a sealed letter and a locked treasure chest in return, containing a goodwill donation to Candlekeep's maintenance costs. “Do ensure both are delivered to Alkrist himself, and not some unknown academic,” insisted Goldfist. PERSONALISING THE ADVENTURE This adventure starts in media res, as the party behold the majesty of Candlekeep, having already accepted the call to action from Magnus Goldfist. In media res is a great way to start a standalone adventure, as it fast forwards through some time-consuming formalities. If you’re playing Deadwinter Prophecy as part of a campaign, you may wish to switch the patron from Goldfist to a pre-existing (untrustworthy) ally of theirs. You may also wish to grant your party the agency of accepting the quest, with Goldfist (or other patron) summoning them for a little chat in his Waterdeep office. Hint: you can avoid the awkward moment the players don’t bite on the adventure hook by simply ensuring the patron is smart enough to push their buttons: be it promises of knowledge, gold, glory or magical items they require to get going… BUT ALL IS NOT AS IT SEEMS... Magnus Goldfist first appeared in the adventure Dragonbowl. He is a young, ambitious dwarf who has taken charge of the Lords’ Alliance’s affairs in Waterdeep. Goldfist is lying to the party about their mission and the book is just a cover story (pun intended). What he really wants from Alkrist is the sage's research on germ warfare, and specifically his notes on new spell called pestilent cloud, which the sage is close to perfecting. The payment in the treasure chest is for Alkrist alone. If the party break the letter's seal you can reveal the letter’s contents (see image on CHAPTER 1: A FROSTY RECEPTION

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY 17 p.17). There's a postscript written in invisible ink (a solution of lemon juice and water), which is revealed when heated by a candle. A flat iron key is bound in the sealed letter. The small iron chest meanwhile, contains 50 diamonds worth a total of 25,000 gold pieces. The lock is protected with arcane lock and requires a DC 30 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools to open, or DC 20 if the arcane lock is dispelled. The key will open the lock, only after the arcane lock is dispelled. THE CANDLEKEEP ENTRY FEE Knowing that the price of admittance to Candlekeep is a book not currently held in the library's archives, Goldfist also furnished the party with a copy of: An Extended Chronicling of the Enchanted, Bewitched, Demoniac and Fantastical Weaponry and Armature of the Combined Realms of Faerûn in the Fervent Hope of being Advantageous for Posterity, by Esquiel Calvus Sandrif Fairhand the One-legged, former Corporal of the Neverwinter Watch. The book has achieved some small renown in the North, where it is usually referred to as Esquiel's Guide to Magic Weapons and Goldfist is confident this tome will gain the party entry. ADDITIONAL ADVENTURE HOOK Note, a second patron, friend or ally, upon learning that the party are going to Candlekeep, might ask one of them if they could obtain either the original (preferably) or a copy (if not) of a book called The Price of Beauty (see Candlekeep Mysteries). As books are rarely sold by the library, and there won't be time to copy it, this job might involve 'borrowing' the original. Like all of Candlekeep's most valued tomes, The Price of Beauty is protected by from theft by a customised casting of Drawmij's instant summons (see Revised Theft Protection box out). Anyone passing a DC 25 Intelligence (History) check knows the following lore, before setting foot in the library: REVISED THEFT PROTECTION On page 7 of Candlekeep Mysteries, under a section about 'Theft Protection', we learn that “any... work that is removed from the keep disappears and immediately returns to its proper place in the library.” This all seems rather too convenient, and worse, it also rules out scores of potentially fun storylines we can run using Candlekeep as a location. There spell in the Player's Handbook called Drawmij's instant summons which DMs can use as the basis of a more nuanced, interesting and credible theft protection device (the spell even appears in the master sage stat block). Using the spell, items weighing less than 10 lbs can be linked to a sapphire and then recalled in the case of loss or theft by crushing said gemstone. (Note: if the stolen book is currently being carried, it fails to recall the item, and instead alerts the gem crusher to the thief's location and identity). In this adventure, therefore, consider that every book entering Candlekeep is appraised by the five Watchers on the door and that those deemed to be of special interest (usually those worth over 1,000 gp), are set aside so that one of the Avowed master sages can cast a modified version of Drawmij's instant summons upon it. In this version of the spell - known as Pilar's instant summons after the sage who mastered it - an inaudible alarm goes off in the mind of the caster if the item is taken beyond the library's walls. Moreover, anyone – not just the caster - can crush the sapphire to recall the item / trace the thief. Great Reader Alkrist You do a great service to the North. The knowledge contained within the Lurkwood Campaigns could be vital in aiding civilised folk to repel the imminent threat of an orcish invasion. Regards MG Conceal the papers in the book cover, and make no mention of them to anyone!

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 18 Once the book has been protected by Pilar's instant summons it can be appropriately catalogued, while the sapphire is duly labelled and taken to a secure vault in the depths of Exaltation. A daring book thief therefore must steal not only the book, but also its corresponding sapphire. A flaw in this protection scheme means that once the caster is deceased, no alarm will immediately alert the Avowed to the fact the book has been stolen (for that reason the job of casting the ritual usually falls to elves). Should it be noted that some ancient tome is missing, however, it can quickly and easily be recalled / located by any of the Avowed, simply by heading to the Sapphire Chamber and destroying the corresponding gemstone. A second flaw in this scheme is that casting dispel magic on the book or sapphire can break the bond (assuming of course the thief knows that such a bond exists). Now we have a solid, but bypassable Theft Protection system that we can use in this and other adventures. THE PARTY APPROACH The adventurers spent the previous night in nearby Hillsdowne, where the innkeeper of the village tavern warned them to set out early if they wanted to reach Candlekeep before an incoming snowstorm. And so they set off in the pink light of the pre-dawn, and rode the last 20 miles of their journey hard. As the party approach the citadel-library, you may choose to read or paraphrase the following: As you lead your tired horses along the Way of the Lion, the road that follows the narrow ridge from the mainland to the rocky outcrop upon which Candlekeep sits, you glance skyward. The sun rose two hours ago, but is now blanketed by a thick fog of cloud, while flakes of snow have started to fall on the mud-and-ice path ahead, signalling the start of the snowstorm the locals warned you about in Hillsdowne. The winter has been brutal, and by the base of the library's cliffs you see stretches of ice, where the surface of the sea itself has frozen. You start to imagine your chilled fingers wrapped around a hot flagon of Candlekeep's famous mulled wine. A FROSTY RECEPTION The main gates of Candlekeep are two enormous black metal doors - each emblazoned with the library's golden sigil - which sit between two rounded turrets set within the ramparts. The entire wall, including the protruding turrets, are topped with crenellations, but are bereft of guards. Both the double doors are closed and anyone who passes a DC 15 Intelligence (History) check knows that this is out of the ordinary. Usually one door is left open for visitors to present themselves to the purple-robed Watchers, who occupy the gate and appraise the entrance fees brought to them. There is a large knocker on each door, each of which has small icicles hanging down from it. THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY If anyone bangs the knocker it makes a loud ringing noise against the metal gate, dislodging the icicles but attractting no reply. The resulting silence is broken some 5 or 10 minutes later, by the sound of chanting, echoing and drifting from beyond the walls. It seems to emanate from above where the adventurers are located. As the chanting grows nearer, provided they are silent themselves, those characters who roll well on a Wisdom (Perception) check hear fragments (DC 15 for the bolded parts) or all (DC 25) of the following chant: During the Deadwinter of our discontent A trio of readers shall be bent By love, by pride and by greed While the first may repent An' their brethren late relent Another's ambition feeds The heart of the Keeper will be lost While our brotherhood counts the cost Of warnings we shall not heed These verses are in fact the 99th prophecy spoken and recorded by Alaundo the Seer, known to those Avowed who specialise in the topic as: “The

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY 19 Deadwinter Prophecy”. The revered seer made hundreds of prophecies in his lifetime, many of which are judged to have come true, some with uncanny accuracy. To commemorate his talents the Avowed carry out an Endless Chant, day and night, of his entire prophecies, led by a chosen member of the Avowed known as the Chanter. The keep's current Chanter is Benedora Stoneforge, a middle-aged shield dwarf priest of Milil. Benedora is leading a group of five Avowed around the Court of Air, which allows this snippet of Alaundo's foretellings to reach the adventurers waiting far below, outside the gates. As the chanters continue onto the fourth verse of the 99th prophecy, they move out of earshot of the party. This fourth verse goes as follow: A many-faced man trouble brings His metal hand pulling strings While it grasps at vile deeds RESEARCHING THE PROPHECIES Alaundo’s prophecies are an integral part of Candlekeep’s lore and if the party deem what they have heard to be important they can track down the entire Deadwinter Prophecy in a number of ways. Firstly, they can go to the House of Alaundo in Founder’s Court (see Inside the Great Library), where the original nine volumes of Alaundo’s prophecies are exhibited (under protective glass), along with more modern copies that can be consulted. Secondly they can try and follow the Endless Chant and wait for the prophecy to be repeated. There are so many prophecies however, that it takes a full 24 hours to recant them all. Thirdly they can go to the Howling Well, where all the prophecies are voiced. The 99th comes around at 6:15 pm every day. Fourthly they can ask any member of the Avowed whether they can recall the prophecy. As most have served as chanters at some point, they can make a DC 20 Intelligence check to recall it accurately. WE’RE CLOSED! COME BACK IN SPRING! If the party ring the knocker again, after a few minutes, they hear footsteps approaching on the other side. With a screech, a panel in the door, about a foot wide, is slid open, behind which appear the sharp grey eyes of a balding middle-aged human male called Jostin. “We're closed to seekers. Come back in spring!” Jostin barks, and makes to slide the panel back in place. If the party don't act first, he will do just that and walk away and the party will be forced to knock a third time. Meanwhile, the snow has started to fall increasingly heavy, and the adventurers' horses whiny and complain at the hard riding they've been subjected to this morning, and the brutal subzero temperatures. BYPASSING THE MAIN GATE It’s likely that the players will grow frustrated at their lack of reception and attempt to find their own way into Candlekeep. This will prove difficult. FLYING Those who try to use magical flight, will be redirected to the front gates (see p.7 of Candlekeep Mysteries), as Small-sized creatures or larger are unable to enter the airspace above the library. CLIMBING The 50-feet-high vertical wall makes for a formidable climb, especially in these icy conditions. A successful DC 25 Strength or Dexterity (Athletics) check is enough to scale it, provided the player is unencumbered. If someone makes it to the top they are likely to attract the attention of the Watchers (see Candlekeep Security box out on p.24. They patrol the walls of the Inner Ward with far more diligence than the Outer Ward). TELEPORTATION Powerful wards mean that teleportation magic, such as misty step, doesn’t work in Candlekeep, unless the spell’s target destination is outside the library’s walls. THIRD TIME LUCKY? If the party knock a third time on the library’s front gates, Jostin reluctantly returns and slides open the hatch once more. While he clearly wishes they would simply go away, if

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 20 the heroes either namedrop Alkrist, or appeal to the monk's sense of righteousness (“it wouldn't do to let travellers be exposed to the forthcoming snowstorm!”), he will say: “Very well, hand me your entrance fee,” and beckons for them to pass their book through the hatch. He sniffs, seemingly unimpressed at their offering, then says: “Wait here”, slams shut the hatch, and walks off. This frosty reception is not the norm at Candlekeep, but these are not normal times in the library. The Avowed's revered leader, the Keeper of Tomes, was discovered dead in his chamber at dawn, and the library has been in pandemonium ever since. The First Reader, the library's second in command, and now its acting head, has been holding a series of emergency meetings with the other Great Readers, as well as addressing a congregation of the entire Avowed community. For that reason, the keep’s main gates were hoisted shut and left with a skeleton crew, who were told to admit no one. ANOTHER LONG WAIT… Whether the party namedrop Alkrist or not, Jostin seeks out the First Reader, a dragonborn by the name of Skoda Vanaster (aka Bookwyrm), on the question of whether to admit the seekers or not. When Jostin manages to track down Bookwyrm, she is chairing a meeting attended by several Great Readers, as well as the order’s high priest, the Lorekeeper Kei Tigersteel. The monk informs those present at the meeting of the seekers at the gate and mentions that turning them away could be dangerous in the current weather conditions. Kei Tigersteel points out that their arrival might be a good omen: “Who better to conduct an murder investigation than those who were not present at the time of the murder?” There's a chorus of agreement and Bookwyrm herself, keen to be as close to the would-be investigators as possible, decides to come to the front gates to greet the seekers personally, bringing with her a junior member of the Avowed (who she happened to cross in a corridor on the way down) to be their adjutant. It's a long way from the main gate to Exaltation’s Chapter House, and it's likely a full hour before Jostin returns with Bookwyrm. In the meantime, the snow has begun to fall increasingly heavily. Each member of the party must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw against extreme cold (they’ve been left exposed and stationary outside the gates for some time now, on top of their gruelling early morning ride). On a fail they gain a level of exhaustion. Finally, their faces and extremities frozen, the party hear the sound of footsteps returning and orders being given. Two of the Assessors unbar and heave open one of Candlekeep’s vast double doors. A BELATED WELCOME At this point in the adventure you can read or paraphrase the following: Before you stands a emerald-skinned dragonborn dressed in a crimson cassock and heavy dun cloak, her arms crossed within the folds of her robes her black and yellow lizard eyes fixed upon you. She has a pronounced beak, her gullet is a creamy colour, and a mane of darker green feathery scales falls from the crown of her head around her shoulders. She is slightly built for a dragonborn, but still measures well over six-feet-tall. You judge her to between fifty and sixty years old. “Welcome seekers to Candlekeep,” she croaks in the common tongue. “Sadly, you join us in bleak times.” Bookwyrm is apologetic that the party had to wait in the cold to be admitted, and explains that tragedy has struck the library. The beloved and respected Keeper of Tomes, Janussi, was found murdered, his corpse mutilated, this morning. She is prepared to

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY 21 offer them food and shelter for the present time, if they would be so good as to perform a service on behalf of all the Avowed and take charge of the necessary murder investigation, as impartial detectives. If the party bring up their entrance gift of Esquiel's Guide to Magic Weapons as enough qualification for free food and board, she regrets to inform them that the library already has multiple copies of the tome. However, given the importance of the task she wishes to entrust them with, she promises them each a free copy of any book in the library made by the House of Binder, in addition to free food and board until their work is done. If the party agree to Bookwyrm's proposal, they are invited in and they and their horses are ushered onto a wide mechanical lift built into the gate's left turret, which is then slowly raised to the level of the Court of Air. There's already several inches of snow on the court's cobbles, by the time the party enter the keep, and a frozen wind whips across the exposed piazza. Once in the Court of Air, Bookwyrm introduces the seekers to Fembris Lancer (see p.7 of Candlekeep Mysteries), an ethusiastic and callow 18-year-old acolyte, who is to be their adjutant. The poor lad is shivering under the archway that leads into the Court of Air, waiting to be officially assigned. Bookwyrm assures them that Fembris will help them settle in and recover from the rigours of their journey. She asks them if they can report to the Chapter House of Exaltation at noon, or as soon afterwards as they can manage, and leaves them in Fembris’ care. MEET FEMBRIS Fembris Lancer (commoner with 8 hit points and History +2) is delighted to have been chosen, by none other than Bookwyrm herself, to be the investigators’ adjutant, and is only too happy to answer all the party’s questions, as he helps them settle in. Some things he is likely to share, whether asked or not are: • The rules of Candlekeep, known as the Orders of Accordance (see p.7 of Candlekeep Mysteries). He adds that casting a spell that targets a monk or seeker is considered an act of aggression. • The facilities available in the Court of Air (p.10-13 of Candlekeep Mysteries). • His thoughts on Janussi: “He could be tough at times, but mostly he was fair and kind.” • What he knows about the murder (which is just hearsay, as details were not given when Bookwyrm addressed the community). “Apparently he was gutted, and strangled with his own entrails! What a horrible way to go!” • His theory on the guilty party. “It must have been the Beast of Candlekeep! That devil roams the Great Library at night, surrounded by shadows.” (Fembris neglects to mention he saw the Beast with his own eyes on the night of Janussi’s murder. He doesn’t want to get in trouble for climbing the Bell Tower at midnight, when he should have been asleep in his dorm. ROLEPLAYING FEMBRIS Fembris is enthusiastic, boyish and wants to do a great job - and be seen to do a great job - in both Bookwyrm’s and the party's eyes. He is in love with fellow novice Irony. The two are fast friends, but Irony views Fembris as far too idiotic and immature for her. Trait. “Woopeee, I love adventure!” Ideal. “I love to work hard, and be praised for my work.” Bond. “I love Candlekeep and the Avowed... And also Irony.” Flaw. “Adventure is great... until it gets scary!” Secret. “I broke curfew and climbed the Bell Tower on the night of the murder.” Catchphrases. Fembris has several distinctive catchphrases he uses whenever he’s surprised. They are: “Flaming cassocks!” “Holy homunculi!” “By Alaundo's (divination) balls!”

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 22 THE SMITHY AND STABLES The party’s first point of call, upon entering Candlekeep, is the stables (p.13 of Candlekeep Mysteries). As Fembris helps them lead their horses in, they nearly run into a monk hurrying out. The monk has his cowl drawn up, obscuring most of his face, but he appears to be a dark-skinned human male of tall, muscular stature. He is wearing a heavy slatecoloured cloak over his scholar’s robes. This monk is in fact the Great Reader, A’lai Aivenmore, who came to borrow a hammer from the smithy, Khe’ril Hammerbind, allegedly for hammering down a rogue nail in his chamber (but really for smashing a sapphire he stole from the Keeper of Tome’s safe, with the goal of recalling the missing key to the High Tower Library). He has the hammer well hidden under his cloak, but a DC 25 Wisdom (Perception) check might allow a player to spot the tool’s outline. Soon after entering the stables, two stablehands rush to help the party with their mounts, promising to take good care of them. THE HOUSE OF REST The party’s next stop is the House of Rest (p.10 of Candlekeep Mysteries). This three-story bunkhouse is virtually empty (seekers very rarely travel to Candlekeep in winter, especially in one as harsh as this), and the adventurers are given a room all to themselves. Fembris offers to fetch them fresh, dry robes from Erudite Outfitters & Clothiers (p.13 Candlekeep Mysteries) across the courtyard, after which he goes to the Hearth and tells the kitchen to prepare a hot and hearty meal for them, before returning to collect the party. He implores the seekers to remove heavy armour, shields and large weapons (anything that can’t be carried on a belt), as, while they can be worn in the Outer Ward, bearing arms is verboten in the Inner Ward. THE HEARTH When the players are ready to move to the Hearth (p.10 of Candlekeep Mysteries) you can read or paraphrase the following: What looks like a large tavern from the outside is an enormous one on the inside, its proportions three times the size that its exterior suggests. An enormous circular fireplace blazes in the centre of the room, surrounded by wellworn leather armchairs, while a long bar streches across the far wall, and dozens of sturdy trestle tables are arranged in four columns that run the length of the taproom. The air is warm and smells of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger, mingled with smoked meats and fish, and the scent of pine needles of a fir tree in one corner of the room, which has been decorated with ribbons, silver bells and candy. Meanwhile, garlands of holly, ivy and mistletoe have been fastened along every rafter in a celebration of the passing of Deadwinter. If the tavern has a festive appearance, however, its at odds with the funereal atmosphere of the meagre crowd gathered… A scattering of seekers sit by themselves in thoughtful contemplation, while here and there are huddled small groups of monks, muttering in low mournful tones, or seeming to console one another. Amongst the lone drinkers, youʼre surprised to see the imposing physique of an ogre, squeezed into one of the large armchairs by the fire. A black leatherbound book lies open and face down on his lap, as he stares pensively into the distance. Fembris chaperones the party to a table near the fire, while explaining that the tavern’s enlarged interior is enabled by an intricate clockwork device, known as a “geometric amplifier”, which is encased in a faintly glowing orb embedded in the ceiling above the bar. The party are then served steaming hot wild boar stew, from one cauldron suspended above the fire, and a flagon of mulled wine from another. Anyone who incurred a level of exhaustion from extreme

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY 23 cold may retake their saving throw with advantage, after feasting on this meal. LITTLE ONE Little One is an ogre who gave up his savage ways upon donning a headband of intellect (see p.12 of Candlekeep Mysteries). The book on his lap is entitled Dragonbowl: The Legacy of the Blood Games. He is surprised to see seekers owing to the hazardous weather conditions, but is curious and happy to chat. An everpresent in the Hearth, Little One hears most of the library gossip and is a witness to any comings and goings to the Hearth tavern. WHAT LITTLE ONE KNOWS… A grateful guest of the Avowed, the ogre is too discrete to offer up the following information without prompting, but he answers all questions honestly, meaning the investigators may glean the following tidbits of information. • Daral Yashenti came to the Hearth the previous night, at the 11th hour, looking very shaken and perturbed. He failed to greet Little One and ordered several brandies. He was still drinking when Little One retired after midnight. • The Great Readers comprise the greatest academic minds in Faerûn, but when it comes to affairs of the heart and petty ambition they are as bad, if not worse, than budding acolytes and scribes. BRYGON THE BARKEEP Brygon is a middle-aged human male of dour disposition, with more hair protruding from his nostrils and lugholes than on his head. A missing front tooth helped earn him the nickname ‘Checkers’. He is the Hearth’s chief barkeep and works from two in the afternoon to last orders every day. WHAT BRYGON KNOWS… Brygon finds the Avowed rather arrogant and is secretly entertained by this scandalous crime. He is not afraid to land the rude and abrasive Daral Yashenti in a spot of bother. Brygon can confirm Little One’s observations. • Additionally, Brygon can confirm that he managed to kick Daral out of the Hearth and close up around 2:30 am. “The Great Reader was so drunk he nearly forgot the book he’d been clutching all night.” • If asked, he says the book was a fancy thing bound in teal green leather with what looked like a donkey engraved in gold leaf on the covers. “Very fancy it was. Not the sort of book you take to the Hearth!” • Another thing he spotted, that seemed odd, was he seemed to have a small blood stain on the seams of his robe, around the right wrist. “It could have wine of course, but it sure looked like blood to me.” THE EMERALD DOOR As noon approaches, Fembris reminds the party of their appointment with Bookwyrm and attempts to hurry them along. The snowstorm that began when they arrived is in full swing now, and a foot of snow lies on the Court of Air, and the visibility is reduced to just 60 feet or so by the snowflakes cascading down from the heavens. At length, the players will be able to make out a green rectangle glowing in front of them, through the white haze: the Emerald Door. The 15-foot-high portal is guarded by a human female mage dressed in purple robes. Deidran is in her 30s, dusky-skinned, with a scar on her upper lip. Currently posted as Keeper of the Emerald Door, she is one of the Watchers at the command of the Gatewarden, who are responsible for Candlekeep’s security (see following page). She started her shift at dawn. The First Reader instructed Deidran to admit the party, and - provided they aren’t wearing heavy armour, shields or heavy weapons -teh Watcher allows them to pass unchallenged. Otherwise, it will require a successful DC 20 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check to convince her to make an exception. When Deidran is ready to let them pass, she taps the door with her staff and the translucent glowing green stone slowly fades to total transparency, until it appears

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 24 immaterial and one can walk through it. “I love it when it does that!” enthuses Fembris and leads the party through. Beyond the Emerald Door the heroes must climb an interior staircase half way up the Great Library’s ramparts, before they can emerge through the archway that leads to the Inner Ward. “Welcome to the Great Library,” announces Fembris. “Seekers are almost never permitted here! You are very privileged!” The adventure continues in Chapter 2… but first, some more lore and info. CANDLEKEEP SECURITY Candlekeep's Security is run by the Gatewarden, Kalan Strongbranch (archmage), and consists of 28 Watchers (a mix of mages and priests), the majority of which live in dorms in Sea Warden’s Tower (see Inside the Great Library). In normal times,14 Watchers are on duty at any one time, including 3 of the 5 priests that live in the Gatehouse and run the main gates. Off duty Watchers rest, eat or study, before their next shift. Shifts run from dawn to highsun, highsun to dusk, dusk to midnight and midnight to dawn, with seasonal adjustments to make each shift 6 hours long. Typically, the 14 Watchers on duty are positioned as follows: Gatehouse (main gates): 3 Watchers Emerald Door: 1 Watcher Passage between Great Library and Pillars of Pedagogy: 1 Watcher Exaltation (main entrance): 1 Watcher Exaltation (rear entrance): 1 Watcher High Tower Library: 1 Watcher Sea Warden’s Tower: 1 Watcher The Walls: 5 Watchers STATE OF EMERGENCY Once the state of emergency is declared 20 Wardens are on duty at any one time. The extra 6 are placed as follows: 1 Watcher at the crime scene, 1 more at the High Tower Library, 1 at the base of the Reader's Tower (for their protection!), and 3 more on the walls. MAGES IN CANDLEKEEP The majority of Watchers use the mage stat block, however, they may favour certain other more useful spells for their jobs than those given in the Monster Manual. Given that fires larger than candles are extinguished by Candlekeep’s protective wards they likely learn ray of frost and lightning bolt over firebolt and fireball. Meanwhile, given that teleportation and flying magic doesn’t work in Candlekeep, Watchers use spells like expeditious retreat, jump and levitate to mobilise when called upon. Some have mastered the polymorph spell in order to be able to turn into birds (as a workaround of the anti-flying wards) and speed to the scene of an emergency. Alarm, hold person and sending are commonly mastered spells for obvious reasons. SPELL VERSATILITY Virtually all of the casters in Candlekeep are academic casters, who have mastered different spells to differing degree, and prepare their spells according to the occasion. Many days they won’t bother preparing a spell until they need it. This gives DMs some leeway in ruling what spells any given person can - or cannot - cast at any given time. Feel free to use this leeway. LAX SECURITY Crime is almost non-existent in Candlekeep, and what crime is committed is nearly always attempted book theft by unscrupulous seekers. Meanwhile, the gates of Candlekeep have not been assaulted for well over a hundred years and the vast majority of the citadel’s Watchers have never been called to action. As a result, before being shocked into vigilance by the murder of the Keeper of Tomes, many Watchers viewed their security shifts as a rather tedious distraction from their academic work, especially since even the Gatewarden himself had seem distracted and disinterested of late.

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY 25

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 26 F rom the archway above the Emerald Door, Fembris leads you up a flight of stairs, feeling for each step carefully through the blanket of fresh snow that has swaddled Candlekeep in white. “Behold the Great Library!” enthuses the young acolyte, with a sweep of his arm, as you stand in the shadow of the mighty Exaltation. He proceeds to guide you around the northern side of the bastion, pointing out buildings of interest as you go. “You see that curious blue stack of globes… that’s the Astronomicon! Every thing we know about the stars can be found there. And look… you see that glint of gold under the snow. That’s the Whispering Dome, part of the Hall of Momentous Deeds. You can hear the words of heroes past, and be inspired!” “What’s that building, you say? Why that’s the Drakonoikos! Made from the scales and bones of the ancient red dragon Fyrentennimar. Anything you need to know about fire and lightning breathing lizards, you’ll find in there. You can even test your mettle in the ‘Dragonbreath Simulation Chamber’…. but I wouldn’t advise it, one member of the Avowed died when they tried it. Now you need permission from the Keeper to use it. Oh, look here we are already…” EXALTATION The party are led by Fembris around to the northern side of Exaltation, where one of the bastion's impressive bronze doors is left ajar for the coming and going of the many Avowed who reside here. A purple-robed Watcher guards the door of the Entrance Hall, but lets the party pass without comment. After traversing many high-ceilinged halls, traipsing down several tapestry-covered corridors, and climbing many austere staircase - each decorated with busts and oil paintings of stern-faced, long-dead sages, the party finally arrive at the Chapter House with aching legs. They encounter a moon elf scribe standing guard outside, who motions for them to halt, but Fembris explains that the party have been summoned by the First Reader. THE CHAPTER HOUSE The Chapter House is Exaltation's executive meeting room, and sits under the western gables of its green slanted roof, opposite Reader’s Tower. A distinctive rose window allow natural light to stream in (what little of it there is during the raging snowstorm), while a dodecagonal table has places for the Keeper of Tomes, the First Reader, the eight Great Readers, the Gatewarden and the Lorekeeper, making a council of 12 under usual circumstances. Benches on either side of the room allow for other parties to be summoned to sit in council. Currently in council are the First Reader and 6 Great Readers. GREAT READERS: FIRST IMPRESSIONS The council is in a state of uproar as the party enter. The party overhear several strong statements, which might inform their opinions of the Great Readers. DM’S TIP: VISUAL AIDS ARE GO! Now is a great time to bring out the visual aids (see p.4) for each of the characters the party are meeting for the first time. (This artwork sadly cannot be included in the adventure due to the budgeting restraints of writing as an independent designer). • “We must have the vote and restore leadership to Candlekeep,” states A’lai Aivenmore, a tall, handsome human male with smooth, dark skin and a braided beard. The same sage the party nearly bumped into at the stables. • “First we must determine if Janussi named a successor,” insists Fheminor Scrivenbark, a dowdy female halfling with pince-nez glasses, and mousy hair streaked with grey. CHAPTER 2: CRIME & POLITICS

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY 27 • “First we must find the murderer!” exclaims Kazryn Nyantani, a slender female human with black-grey hair and heavy wrinkles around her dark eyes. • “Where is the Gatewarden with his report?” says Teles Ahvoste, a red-cheeked wizard with a receding mane of white hair, who observes his colleagues (and newcomers) with a shrewd gaze. • “The Gatewarden needs to be dismissed with immediate effect! This happened on his watch…” rejoins Alkrist, a formidably-sized bronze dragonborn academic, his hefty frame cloaked in tailored, bejewelled robes. • “Let’s becalm ourselves…” implores Bookwyrm, the green dragonborn First Reader, who looks shaken and weary. • “Why isn’t Sylvira Savikas here?” says Daral Yashenti, a tall human sage with a sour, thin-lipped face, and greasy, slicked-back grey hair… “And who in Avernus are these guys?” he continues, fixing his bloodshot eyes on the entering adventurers. (Note: Daral has only recently joined the council, after sleeping off his hangover, so this is the first he’s heard of the investigators). WHO’S MISSING FROM THE COUNCIL? Only 7 of the 12 scholars who might sit on the council are present. Noticeable absentees are: • Janussi (Keeper of Tomes) is absent on account of being dead. • Kalan Strongbranch (The Gatewarden) is conducting an investigation. • Sylvira Savikas is ill having contracted Abyssal Plague, after being bitten by her demonspawn son, Moziqodo last night. She has locked herself in her chambers and is at pains to hide the nature of her sickness, in order to protect her son. • Kei Tigersteel (Lorekeeper) has been summoned and will talk with Bookwyrm separately. • V’ziir-Ag (see p.10 Candlekeep Mysteries) is currently absent from Candlekeep as they are conducting a risky research trip to the Far Realm. Bookwyrm answers Daral’s challenge by introducing the seekers to the council, and then stating: “I believe I'm not alone in seeing their arrival, on this tragic Deadwinter Day, as fateful in some respects.” “Given that we must consider the strong possibility that the murderer of our beloved colleague walks amongst us, I believe the best course of action is to delegate the responsibility of the murder investigation to these seekers, who the gods have sent us.” GREAT READERS: MOTIVATIONS At this point, it’s worth recapping the Great Readers’ individual motivations, to aid us play out this scene. A’lai Aivenmore’s final goal is to help the Manshoon access the Vault of Secrets, in the hopes that the legendary wizard can help him achieve immortality. Being voted the new Keeper of Tomes would be the easiest way to achieve his aims. He sees the hapless investigators as a harmless distraction. Fheminor Scrivenbark is cagey. Janussi chose her as his successor but she has no proof, and she is worried that the killer might target her next if she stakes her claim. She doesn’t necessarily see the seekers arrival as a pure coincidence, and wonders if they are a) in league with one of the other Great Readers and b) qualified to lead an investigation. Kazryn Nyantani is distraught. She loved Janussi and her faith in the community has been shaken by this murder. She is glad an independent investigation is taking place. Teles Ahvoste has twigged that Bookwyrm had a hand in the murder, and is waiting to see how this situation plays out, knowing he holds a trump card with which to blackmail Bookwyrm at the right moment. Overall, he is happy to overlook this ‘unfortunate incident’ if it means a promotion for him. He does however believe that this affair should be kept in house and resents the presence of the seekers. He demands that the would-be investigators swear an oath of confidentiality, a motion that draws approval from most of the council.

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 28 Alkrist knows the original purpose of the adventurers coming to Candlekeep was to collect a book for Magnus Goldfist of the Lords’ Alliance (in which he was to hide his notes on pestilent cloud) and is ready to welcome and support them - at least for now. He would rather a bunch of random couriers was in charge of the investigation than the astute mind of the Gatewarden, given that he himself is the murderer. Bookwyrm sees the seekers as a complication, but, like Alkrist, would rather have them investigating than Kalan Strongbranch. She trusts that she will be able to subtly control the direction and conclusions of the investigation, pointing the seekers towards Sylvira Savikas, or another suspect, such as the Gatewarden or Teles Ahvoste. Daral Yashenti is suspicious about the presence of the investigators, which he finds very convenient. His most pressing concern however is to get back to his chamber and have a nice goblet of wine to take the edge off his hangover. USE MOTIVATION TO CREATE DRAMA You can use your knowledge of the Great Readers’ motivations to create a tense scene in which the party’s credentials are questioned (“What experience do you have of investigating crimes?” Fheminor. “This is ridiculous, we don’t know them from Alaundo. They look like a bunch of sellswords to me!” Daral), and the terms of their investigation are discussed. Confidentiality is insisted upon, and Bookwyrm is ready to offer the party a copy of any book in the library, made at the House of the Binder, as a reward for their services. THE GATEWARDEN IS DISMISSED At some stage during the meeting, the Gatewarden strides purposely into the Chapter House to report his findings to the council. Kalan Strongbranch is a tall, imposing human male, with neatly trimmed grey-white beard and piercing blue eyes. Before he can speak, however, Bookwyrm cuts him short: “Thank you Kalan, but given your own troubled relationship with the Keeper of Tomes, and the need for an impartial investigation, this council has decided to relieve you from the case and appoint a body of independent investigators. Please focus on securing our defenses and ensuring no other creature enters or leaves Candlekeep.” At this surprise decree, the Gatewarden’s eyes flash for a second, before he bows curtly, turns heel and storms off. THE INVESTIGATION BEGINS Once the heroes have been formally appointed by the council, they are invited to investigate the crime scene. The council are dismissed and Bookwyrm herself leads the party up to Janussi's private chambers at the top of the Keeper’s Tower. Fembris comes too as he will continue to serve as the party’s adjutant (Bookwyrm finds an opportunity to privately order him not to let the investigators out of his sight). En route to the crime scene, Bookwyrm attempts to discredit the Gatewarden. She would rather they don’t consult with the archmage, as he has been rather disturbed of late. “I think it’s important you know that yesterday morning Janussi asked the Gatewarden to tend his resignation. The Keeper was concerned that Kalan was losing his mental faculties and becoming negligent in his work.” If pressed on whether Kalan might be a suspect, she states. “I don’t want to prejudice your investigation. I am sure if you examine the evidence you’ll be able to discover the truth. The safety of Candlekeep is depending on you.” It is only a short walk from the Chapter House, along a long passageway, to Keeper’s Tower, Exaltation’s easternmost spire. Bookwyrm leads them up the spiralling staircase that rings the tower, passing a reception chamber on one floor, a shrine of Oghma on a second, a large apartment on a third (the door of which is ajar. The heroes might catch sight of a small elderly gnome: Miss Hollypocket, the Keeper’s

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY 29 servant), before arriving at the door of Janussi’s chambers. On the way they pass a grey cat, sleeping in the middle of the stairs. The feline remains motionless when folks approach, but her yellow eyes open, daring anyone to disturb her. Bookwyrm steps gingerly around her. THE CRIME SCENE A solemn-faced Watcher, named Tadric, guards the door to Janussi’s chamber but defers to Bookwyrm without question. Her authority - as acting Keeper of Tomes - supersedes the Gatewarden (who told him not to admit anybody into the chamber). Bookwyrm informs Tadric that Kalan has been relieved from the investigation and asked to focus his attentions elsewhere. She informs the Watcher that those present will be taking over. Once introduced to Tadric, she leaves the party to it, asking them to report back to her as soon as they are done. She asks that they remove nothing from the room. WHAT TADRIC KNOWS… Tadric (mage) is a short human male of 23 years, with a dark brown haircut shaped like an upside-down bowl. He doesn’t offer any of the following information unless asked, in which case he answers truthfully. • Janussi was found dead by Great Reader A'lai Aivenmore and the servant Miss Hollypocket around 7:30 am, and the two of them raised the alarm. • Tadric arrived at the crime scene with the Gatewarden around 8 am. After speaking briefly with A’lai and Miss Hollypocket, and making a brief inspection of the scene, the Gatewarden left to oversee the deployment of additional Watchers during a newly-declared state of emergency. • Kazryn Nyantani arrived distraught and weeping, shortly past 8 am, wanting to see the body of Janussi (which she did, but from the doorway only). • Fheminor Scrivenbark turned up at 8:30 am, appearing shocked. She wanted to inspect the chamber, but was forbidden from doing so. • Bookwyrm arrived at 9 am, from the baths, having been alerted to the situation. As acting head of Candlekeep, she was allowed to enter the chamber, but took a brief look only at the scene, before confirming the Gatewarden’s order not to admit anyone. • The Gatewarden returned at 11 am to make a full investigation. He seemed careful not to sully the crime scene in any way, before he left to make his report to the council of Great Readers. The Gatewarden didn't share any of his deductions with Tadric. JANUSSI’S CHAMBERS When the party are ready to enter the Keeper’s quarters you may read the following text: You enter a spacious circular chamber, ringed by a dozen lancet windows that fill the room with natural light, which is made hazy by a thin fug of tobacco. Lying on the ground, near the foot of the chamber's elegant mahogany desk in the centre of the room, is the corpse of a human male of around 70 years, his vacant eyes fixed on the ceiling. His splendid, flowing white robes are extremely bloodied around the torso, while a closer look reveals that his ribcage has been caved in and there is a gaping hollow in his chest. The rest of the chamber is in some disorder. A chair has been toppled over near the desk. The desk itself is neatly arranged with a single book lying open in the centre, next to a pile of books on the left and a stack of notes on the right, but the extinguished candles of a candelabra have burned down to their stubs, leaving a waxy mess below them, and an ink pot has been spilled. On the other side of the room to the desk, a marble statue and its pedestal lie on the ground, and a safety box lies open. Several blue gemstones appear to have been scattered on the stone floor, in front of the safe, along with several empty pouches. A wooden set of stairs lead up to second floor.

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 30 After they enter the chamber, Fembris takes one look at the Keeper’s mutilated body, runs to one of the windows, flings it open and vomits over the side of the tower, letting in a gush of wind and flurry of snowflakes in the process. Neither disturb the evidence, however. He sheepishly asks if he can wait outside. Meanwhile, Tadric observes the investigation from his position at the door. PLAYERS NEED TO MAKE NOTES! Now is the time to remind your players they are playing a murder mystery with multiple suspects, and a lot of skullduggery to unpack. They will need to make good notes if they are to stand any chance of solving the murder case, and they will need to study those notes before each session for the game for it not to turn into a tedious rerun of already established facts. I would also encourage players to make a timeline of the events they uncover, along with the source of each piece of information (as not all sources will prove reliable). Your players are unlikely to have the flawless memory of the average fictional detective, and such a resource could both help them solve the case and also save you, the DM, fielding the same questions again and again, and setting them straight on what they've learnt and from whom. THE CORPSE Those that wish to investigate the chamber’s dead body may make one Intelligence (Medicine) check and one Intelligence (Investigation) check. What is revealed on each roll, is determined by the final result of each check. Each checkpoint passed reveals all the observations of lower checkpoints. MEDICINE CHECK • A successful DC 5 Intelligence (Medicine) check reveals that the Keeper's heart is missing, but no other organs. • A DC 8 checkpoint, on the same roll, reveals that the Keeper's ribcage was smashed by what appears to be an axe, or similar, using several precise blows, all very close to one another. • A DC 12 checkpoint reveals something strange: while the Keeper of the Tome's vestments are covered in blood and cruor, the mess is surprisingly localised around the wound. One would expect spurting jets of blood to have covered not only more of his robes, but also more of the room. • A DC 15 checkpoint reveals that the victim's nose is fractured and bruised. • A DC 20 checkpoint reveals that the victim's eyes are reddened and their tear glands are peculiarly swollen: faint tear tracks indicate that the victim cried copiously before death. HELP & GUIDANCE Players often look for ways to get a boost on skills checks. I would advise DMs to only allow use of the Help action if the players can narratively describe what their player is doing to confer an advantage on their ally’s check. Meanwhile, guidance can only be applied to skill checks that take 1 minute or less to complete, as per the spell’s duration. CORRESPONDING DEDUCTIONS DMs can find the information hidden behind the checkpoints below, some of which the players can hopefully deduce for themselves, either immediately or after further investigation. At the DM’s discretion, they may wish to reveal some of this information, or offer additional checks to reveal it. • Someone ripped out the heart, as a foil against the raise dead spell, which requires the deceased vital organs be intact. • The Keeper was likely dead before his heart was removed, as otherwise the blows would not have been so precise and close together. • As the Keeper’s heart was no longer beating, there was no blood pressure to send spurts of blood across the room.

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY 31 Moreover, the blood in the body had started settling in the bottom of the corpse, by the time the perpetrator took a cleaver to Janussi’s chest. • The Keeper took a whack in the nose. (This occurred when Janussi tried to wrestle The Golden Ass from the hands of Daral Yashenti, and instead got a book to the face). • Heavy lacrimation is a side effect of the midnight tears poison, that help give the toxin its name. Anyone proficient in the Poisoner’s Kit, who also succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence check recognises this fact. On a DC 20 checkpoint, they may even know that, when mixed with saliva, the toxin’s residue turns black. MIDNIGHT TEARS Midnight tears (p.258 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide) is a highly-toxic, pale ochre dust, made from the pollen of a plant usually only found in the Feywild. Alkrist smeared an entire vial’s worth (over 20 doses) on The Golden Ass, of which the Keeper ingested enough to kill him. If no one in the party is proficient with the Poisoner’s Kit, they can discover more about midnight tears at the Floratheka, a subsection of the Pavilion Naturalis (see Inside the Great Library) dedicated to plants, herbs and other flora. On a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check, they swiftly turn up a tome called Fey-mous Flowers and Fungi by Archibald Roots Junior, son of Archibald Roots Senior, the legendary gnome botanist and explorer. In addition to conveying all the above information, Archibald notes that when midnight tears are mixed with the sap of a certain feywild tree they lose their toxic properties and create a powerful pain relief solution that all good physicians should stock. The druid satyr, Leuwin, also keeps a copy of Fey-mous Flowers and Fungi in his private library in the Oak Tree Apothecary. INVESTIGATION CHECK • A successful DC 5 Intelligence (Medicine) check reveals there is clotted blood under the victim's nose, as well as smeared bloodstains on the right sleeve of the Keeper's tunic. At the bottom of the white sleeve are blotches of midnight blue ink. • A DC 10 checkpoint reveals that the tip of the Keeper's left forefinger is blackened, as is the centre of his lower lip. (The colour of these smudges is darker than the ink used by the Keeper, ruling out ink smudges). • A DC 15 checkpoint reveals blackening on the tip of the Keeper’s tongue and a chip in one of the Keeper's front teeth. A jagged edge on the tooth suggests a recent incident. • A DC 20 checkpoint reveals the impression of a chain on the back and sides of the corpse’s neck, and two broken lead chain links underneath the neck. CORRESPONDING DEDUCTIONS DMs can find the information hidden behind the checkpoints below, some of which the players can hopefully deduce for themselves, either immediately or after further investigation. At the DM’s discretion, they may wish to reveal some of this information, or offer additional checks to work it out. • The Keeper took a whack in the nose, and then wiped away the blood with his right sleeve. The ink blotches occurred when he caught his inkpot with the bottom of his sleeve, knocking it over. • The Keeper got something on their finger (midnight tears), and then licked their finger (in order to turn the pages of The Golden Ass). • The tongue was blackened with the same repeat action of Janussi putting his left index finger to his mouth, in order to turn the page of his book. The tooth was chipped when the Keeper fell on his face (later Bookwyrm flipped him over to hack open his chest). The chip can be found some distance away on the floor. • The Keeper was wearing a chain (bearing one of only two keys to the High Tower Library) that was yanked from his neck.

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 32 MAGIC INVESTIGATION If anyone attempts to cast speak with dead on the corpse it doesn't work. A successful DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check is sufficient to remind the caster that the spell can't be cast on the same corpse for a second time within 10 days. Bookwyrm knew this and cast speak with dead to prevent others from doing so, fearing that Janussi would realise he had been poisoned and that the trail would lead to her nephew, Alkrist. Meanwhile, a detect magic spell reveals that the Keeper has three magic items (all rings) on his possession. One is a ring of protection, while the other two are key rings, common magic items which function as disguised keys. One fits his safety deposit box, the other his chamber’s door. KEY RING Wondrous item (ring), common When you utter the ring’s command word, it conjures a mundane key that fits a single lock. Detect magic also reveals the glyphs of warding that protect much of Janussi’s book collection (see Bookshelves), a faint aura of conjuration magic on the spilled sapphires by the safe, and reveals the magic items in the safety deposit box, plus the driftglobe, floating on the second floor. THE DESK No Investigation check is required to search the desk, which has several books piled up on the left, on different topics. Among the titles are The Secret History of Mystra by Ithizar, An Encyclopedia of Elven Etymology by Merel Uriphine and the Endless War Between the Githyanki and Githzerai by V’ziir-Ag. In the middle of the desk, a spellbook entitled The Discoveries by Eszteban of the Gleaming Cloud Citadel lies open. Behind the book is a seven-armed bronze candelabra, its candles all burned to stubs. To the right of The Discoveries lies a single leaf of papyrus with the book's title (The Discoveries) written in common, under which are notes written in celestial (Janussi’s preferred language for notation). The notes are musings on the unfamiliar spells in The Discoveries, and how they might be cast. The notes were made with midnight blue ink, the same ink which has been spilled on the far right of the desk, where the bronze inkpot now lies on its side. Anyone examining the desk, is also likely to see a quill on the floor by the desk, its nib covered in midnight blue ink. Also on the floor by the desk is a wicker basket with a single discarded linen ink carrier in it. The inside of the linen carrier is slightly damp, and was clearly the vessel of the midnight blue ink. Finally, at the back of the desk, on the right, is a large pile of notes, with a quartz weight on top of them. Anyone investigating these notes sees, on top of the pile, more annotations in celestial, using the same midnight blue ink, on a book called The Golden Ass; while underneath these are more notes on The Discoveries, in a different purplish ink, now dry. Below the purple notes on The Discoveries are yet more notes in the purplish ink on various titles of no import to this story. The chair by the desk lies on the floor. CORRESPONDING DEDUCTIONS The key deduction the players can make here is that Janussi made notes on two different books on the evening of his death, using the midnight blue ink that he had opened that night (discarding the linen carrier in the wicker bin that Miss Hollypocket empties each day). The first book was The Golden Ass, that is now mysteriously missing. The second was The Discoveries, the book that Janussi had been reading previous to receiving The Golden Ass as a Deadwinter gift (and on which he had previously made notes in a purplish ink). Janussi was forced to return to reading The Discoveries, after The Golden Ass was stolen back from him by a drunken Daral. Players might also deduce that the candles were left to burn out by themselves, rather than being blown out. They should as well realise that the Keeper spilled the inkpot with

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY 33 the bottom of his own sleeve, which in turn is evidence - along with the toppled chair and dropped quill - that the Keeper was busy at his desk, when something caused him to stagger back and fall dead on the ground. THE REST OF THE CHAMBER Those who investigate the rest of Janussi’s chamber find the following. Unless stated no roll is required. WINDOWS & DOORS The chamber’s door lock is undamaged (it was opened by knock). Aside from the one that Fembris opened, the chamber’s windows are all closed and latched from the inside. SILVER TABLE Next to the desk is a silver pedestal table that holds a finely-carved ebony wood pipe and cherry-flavoured tobacco. OLFACTORY FACTORS The Keeper of Tome’s heavy tobacco habit means that Perception and Investigation checks that rely on smell are made at disadvantage within his chambers, as the tangy haze clings onto every fabric and surface. Anyone who has been in the chamber carries some of this smell out with them on their clothes and person, and that includes every Great Reader and the Gatewarden, who all entered the Keeper’s chambers on Deadwinter’s Eve at least once (for their end of year meetings). BOOKSHELVES There are a dozen bookcases, placed against the tower walls, between the windows. Each set of shelves is full of beautifully-bound, often priceless tomes, that formed Janussi’s private book collection. One set is dedicated to spellbooks, both his own, and those of prominent mages through the ages. All of the spellbooks, and 25% of the other tomes, are protected by glyphs of warding. Each glyph triggers the suggestion spell. If anyone other than Janussi picks up a book protected by a glyph they hear the disembodied voice of the archmage say: Put the book back and report your attempted theft to the Gatewarden. Anyone who investigates the bookshelves and succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check, finds an ornate silver button under one set of shelves. It is covered in dust. When the dust is blown off, the carved likeness of a strange creature can be discerned. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check reveals this to be a quasit. Anyone who then searches Janussi’s wardrobes (on the second floor) discovers that this button doesn’t match any of his clothes. SAFETY DEPOSIT BOX The safety deposit box is a 2-foot-cubed metal box embedded into the tower’s stone wall. Its door is open, but, if inspected, the lock appears to be undamaged. In front of the open safe lie several empty pouches, a scattering of large, dazzling sapphires and several small, rolledup scraps of parchments. The drawstrings of the pouches have been opened. Most of the scraps of parchment seem to bear the name of a tome, although on one is written ‘ring of protection’ and on another ‘eyes of minute seeing’. Those who succeed on a DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check know that sapphires are used as the material component for the spell Drawmij’s instant summons (or more precisely Pilar’s instant summons… see p.17). It appears that the sapphires once belonged to the pouches, but those who count both, or who succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check, realise that there is one less sapphire and scrap of parchment than there are pouches. Meanwhile, inside the safe are another four closed pouches, each containing a large sapphire and a scrap of parchment with the name of a book. Aside from pouches, the safe also contains a pair of crystal lenses (eyes of minute seeing) in an ivory container, a silver statuette of a raven (figurine of wondrous power), a potion of supreme healing and a potion of water breathing,

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 34 plus a pouch with five large diamonds (worth 5,000 gp each), a bag of one thousand platinum pieces and a bag of one thousand gold pieces. It also contains a half empty vial of white dust (this is dust from Mechanus). Note: Tadric pays close attention, from his position by the door, to anyone investigating the safe and won’t knowingly allow anything to be removed. If a player wishes to palm an object without him noticing, they must contest their Sleight of Hand against his Perception. TOPPLED STATUE Lying on the floor, near the chamber’s two armchairs and a tea table, is a 3-feet-tall marble statue of a hooded and bearded old man, holding a candle aloft in his right hand. A successful DC 12 Intelligence (Religion) reveals this to be Deneir, known as “The Scribe of Oghma” a lesser god, dedicated to art, cartography, glyphs, literature and knowledge. Lying on the floor next to it is the statue’s giltwood pedestal. Neither the statue, nor pedestal, are damaged in any way. Note: When the players investigate the statue, Tadric informs them that the Great Reader A’lai Aivenmore apparently knocked that over in shock when he visited the chamber at dawn. A’lai said he had come to speak to the Keeper about an important matter. ARMCHAIRS Various Great Readers sat in these chairs during the end of year meetings held on the morning of Deadwinter’s Eve. The one on the right is covered in fine grey hair, which can be confidently recognised as a cat hair on a DC 10 Intelligence (Nature) check. The leather upholstery of the one on the left has suffered three, roughly circular, impact wounds, which have scattered the chair’s horsehair stuffing. Two of the impacts have created a hole in the chairback. Note: this damage was done when Sylvira Savika blasted the chair with the magic missile spell during her heated meeting with Janussi, on the morning of Deadwinter’s Eve. UPSTAIRS A set of wooden stairs leads to a second level, that occupies the conical apex of Keeper’s Tower, where Janussi would sleep and dress himself. There’s a large bed, with feather mattress and several luxurious pelt blankets, a bedside table, a wardrobe, a chest of drawers, and a toilet. A driftglobe floats above the bed, but is set to ‘off’, while there’s a dormant fireplace (a reminder of the powerful ward against fires that prevails upon the whole of Candlekeep, with the exception of the Hearth). There’s not much out of the ordinary here, but anyone who succeeds on a DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check notices several strands of long black-blue hair around the bed, that clearly don’t below to Janussi. CANDLEKEEP HEATING Candlekeep’s anti-fire policy presents DMs and adventure designers with a couple of logic problems. How do the Avowed cook their meals? And how do they keep warm? Page 73 of Candlekeep Mysteries provides the answer to the former, introducing an iron coil oven with a built-in heat metal function. Regarding heating, I rather like the idea of shivering scholars pacing freezing cold halls or warming their fingers on the same candles they read by in the keep’s ancient libraries. However, it would make sense if at least some of these spaces (including all the Great Readers’ apartments) enjoyed faux copper fireplaces that spellcasters could target with a tailored version of the heat metal spell. This customised casting causes just 1 hit point damage per round to anyone touching / holding the metal object, but gives out warmth for 1 hour. It would make sense too that any member of the Avowed with the sage, master sage, mage, archmage or priest stat block has cast heat metal (frigid sage remix) so many times that it counts as a cantrip for them, although they can use spell slots to target additional metal radiators. Lesser spellcasters have to make do with prestidigitation as a source of warmth, while non-spellcasters have to drink copious cups of tea, heated in Candlekeep’s kitchens, head to the baths, or hang out at locations like the Infernal Fortress (see p.100) to stave off the chills. There’s also a reason why winter is the most promiscuous season in Candlekeep.

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY 35 WHAT HAPPENED HERE? Janussi’s death can be traced back to the end of year meetings he held with all the senior members of the Avowed. After confiding in Bookwyrm that he plans to retire in one year’s time and name his successor on the morrow, the Keeper of Tomes tried to put straight several troubling issues within the order. One of the people the Keeper confronted was the ambitious dragonborn sage Alkrist, whose research into germ warfare - particularly the development of the spell pestilent cloud - troubled him. Alkrist feigned to respect the Keeper’s decree that he destroy his research. However, after learning from his aunt that Janussi was about to name Fheminor Scrivenbark his successor (an ideological opponent of Alkrist, under whom his research was likely to continue to be banned), he conspired with A’lai Aivenmore to murder the Keeper before he could name Fheminor next in line. After stealing a vial of midnight tears from the Oak Tree Apothecary, with A’lai’s help, Alkrist went to the Southern Dining Hall, unwrapped Daral Yashenti’s present for Janussi - a book called The Golden Ass- and covered the edges of its pages with the toxic dust, before rewrapping it. Janussi took the present back to his chamber after Deadwinter Supper, and started reading it at his desk, delighting in the comic novel. He opened a new sack of midnight blue ink and started making notes with his right hand, turning the pages of the book with his left index finger, which he would lick in between turning each leaf. In this way he ingested several doses of midnight tears poison. Janussi’s reading was first interrupted by Fheminor at 9 pm, who came to accept the role of successor, and then Daral Yashenti at 10:30 pm, who came to drunkenly remonstrate with the Keeper. A verbal fight came to a head when, in a pique of anger, Daral seized back his Deadwinter present, The Golden Ass. When Janussi tried to stop him he took a book to the face, the force of which bruised and bloodied his nose. Daral escaped, heading to the Hearth for a stiff drink. After locking his door, and drawing agitatedly on his pipe, Janussi eventually calmed down enough to return to his desk, where he returned to making notes on The Discoveries, the book he was reading previous to The Golden Ass. On the stroke of midnight, the midnight tears flowing in his bloodstream took effect and Janussi’s organs immediately began to shut down, his eyes streaming with tears. The Keeper staggered backwards, knocking over his chair and his inkpot, and dropping his quill on the floor. He took two steps towards the safety deposit box (hoping to unlock it and retrieve a healing potion), before falling dead on his face, chipping a tooth in the process. Janussi therefore was lying prone when Bookwyrm arrived (in the guise of Sylvira Savikas) to try and cover up her nephew Alkrist’s crime. The First Reader cast dispel magic on the door’s arcane lock and then silence and knock on the door’s mundane lock to enter furtively. Working quickly, she turned over Janussi’s corpse and hacked open his chest with a meat cleaver she stole from the kitchens en route to the Keeper’s chambers. She ripped out his heart and placed it in a small sack. She had half thought to cut off his lower jaw and tongue, to prevent anyone casting speak with the dead on the corpse, but found the notion of defiling the face of her colleague too disgusting. Instead she cast speak with dead, knowing that this will prevent the spell from working for other casters for 10 days (by which time she hopes his body will be buried deep underground!). Having done all she could to cover for her nephew’s crime and prevent the Keeper being easily resurrected, Bookwyrm wasn’t able to resist stealing the key to the High Tower Library. She ripped the lead locket, containing the key, from Janussi’s neck. (While she hopes to be voted the next Keeper of Tomes and

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 36 inherit the key officially, she decided it was better to hedge her bets). Bookwyrm then left the chamber, still disguised as Sylvira Savikas, and hid the sack containing the heart and meat cleaver (and the stick of incense used to cast speak with dead) in the lead chalice of the statue of Milil in the Southern Dining Hall. This quick thinking was done with the idea of protecting these clues from being found by the spell locate object, which is foiled by lead. Her work done, Bookwyrm retired to her chambers (her only remaining task was to dispose of her bloodied robes in the morning, which she did by dumping them in a bin around the back of Erudite Outfitters) Later, at dawn, A’lai Aivenmore arrived at Janussi’s chambers. He found the door closed but unlocked, and snuck in. He was hoping to find the find the key to the High Tower Library, but couldn’t find it on the Keeper’s corpse. Believing it could be in the safe, but unable to find the safe key, he dispelled the vault’s arcane lock and decided to risk casting knock on the mundane lock. To cover for the noise of the spell, he placed the statue of Deneir on the ground (when discovered in the chamber, he then claimed that he accidentally knocked the statue over, and that the loud noise was the sound of it crashing to the ground). Hearing the loud noise, Miss Hollypocket hurried to Janussi’s chambers. A’lai however had just enough time though to rifle through the safe’s gem pouches. Recognising them for what they are - the components of the Pilar’s instant summons spell that can be used to recall lost items - he spilled them out, one by one, until he found the sapphire linked with the key to the High Tower Library. He pocketed the gem and the accompanying parchment label, and then, hearing Miss Hollypocket coming up the stairs, collapsed into one of the chamber’s armchairs (the undamaged one), feigning a state of shock. TOWER WITNESSES Before the party report back to Bookwyrm, or possibly later, they may choose to interview two potential witnesses that reside in Keeper’s Tower: Miss Hollypocket and Queenie the cat. MISS HOLLYPOCKET Miss Hollypocket is an elderly gnome housekeeper who lives in a modest, but spacious and comfortable, apartment below the Keeper of the Tomes’ chambers. She is charged with looking after his every need, from bringing him his morning tea and pastry to emptying his chamberpot. Miss Hollypocket (apprentice wizard with forest gnome traits) can be found in her apartment, where she will offer investigators a seat and a cup of herbal tea. She starts out any interview by blurting out the first thing on her mind, saying: “They'd been arguing like alley cats day and night, but I never thought one of them could murder him! He was such a nice man. A little stiff maybe, but such a nice man. Murdered by his own colleagues! May the gods watch over his soul!” WHAT MISS HOLLYPOCKET KNOWS… Once calm, Miss Hollypocket is able to share that, as was his annual custom, Janussi had a series of one-to-one meetings in the morning with each of the Great Readers. She says these meetings are used to “clear the air” at the end of the year, before Deadwinter Day (which is also New Year's Day, according to the Faerûn calendar). At least half of the talks this year seemed to have ended in explosive shouting matches. If pressed (“I do hate gossip…. But if it’s necessary for the investigation…”), Miss Hollypocket is able to recall which of the morning meetings were particularly spicy: • “I was bringing the Keeper his morning tea, when I passed Kalan Strongbranch on the steps. Oooh, he had a face like thunder… nearly knocked the tray clean out of my hands!” • “Must have been around the 9th bell when Teles Ahvoste came to visit the Keeper. Those two have never got on well, and the meeting soon descended into a shouting match. Of course it was hard to make out what they were

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY 37 saying - especially as I wasn’t listening - but I did hear Teles shout ‘hypocrite!’ at poor Janussi, before he stormed out.” • “That cad Daral Yashenti was here around the 11th bell, nursing a hangover by the looks of him (nothing new there!). I happened to be doing some dusting up near the Keeper’s door and chanced to overhear some very unscholarly language being exchanged. ‘You’re not fit to be Candlekeep’s Keeper!’ Daral shouted at poor Janussi. And then something about ‘…nothing but a glorified book peddlar,’ whatever that means.” • “Well those brannigans were nothing but petty bickering compared to what was to come. Oh, that devil woman! She gives me the heeby-jeebies! I was never sure what the Keeper saw in her, but he certainly incurred her wrath that morning. Raging she was! Screamed that he was ‘a traitor’! At one point it sounded like the two of them were acting violently, and then suddenly she stormed out - nearly took the door off its hinges when she left!” Not only is Miss Hollypocket the authority on what happened during the morning meetings, but as the gnome keeps her apartment door open at night (ostensibly, to allow Queenie the Cat to come and go) she was able to observe the evening visits to the Keeper's chambers (at least until she went to sleep some time after 11 pm). She mentions that a number of Great Readers came to see Janussi after the Deadwinter Supper, recalling the following incidents: • Fheminor came to visit Janussi at 9pm. She didn’t stay long, leaving some 15-20 minutes later. • Daral came around 10:30 pm, “drunk as a skunk”. He pounded on Janussi’s door until the Keeper admitted him, and then they had a loud argument. Shortly after she heard the door slam and saw the Great Reader rushing back down the stairs. She’d never seen him move so fast. • The old gnome says she had just drifted off to sleep when she was woken by the midnight chimes of the Bell Tower (the last time they are rung until dawn). Between the 4th and 5th chime, she thought she heard a thud upstairs. She would have gone up to investigate, but Janussi didn’t like to be disturbed after 11pm. • Miss Hollypocket hesitantly adds one more observation: “Maybe I was dreaming, but at some point in the night I woke up and I swear I could see Sylvira Savikas’ face glowing red in the candlelight. She looked at me for an instant and then suddenly she was gone.” The gnome thinks this must have been around 2 or 3am, but doesn’t seem very sure of herself. Note: If the party express surprise that the tiefling would be visiting Janussi after their epic argument, Miss Hollypocket reveals that the two of them have a rather explosive relationship. The gnome leaves the party in no doubt that the two were lovers. She adds that usually when the tiefling came to visit the Keeper at night she would stay until the morning. There’s another reason why seeing Sylvira’s face by candlelight seemed like such a strange scene for Miss Hollypocket (who can't put her finger on it). It is because Sylvira never carries a lantern, relying on her darkvision. Finally, Miss Hollypocket is a witness to this morning’s events too. Like most of Candlekeep she had permitted herself a little lie on Deadwinter’s Day (the Keeper himself traditionally did!), but was woken by a loud bang from Janussi’s chamber around 7:30 am. She rushed up to find A’lai with his head in his hands on the armchair, as well as the murder scene (unchanged from when the party performed their investigation). APPENTICE WIZARDS IN CANDLEKEEP When a member of the Avowed has the apprentice wizard (VGtM) stat block, the spells most commonly prepared are: Cantrips: mage hand, memorise (see p.62) and heat metal (see Candlekeep Heating box out). 1 st Level: comprehend languages and detect magic.

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 38 As with all academic spellcasters, you can expect some flexibility in their stat blocks when it comes to spells known and prepared. SERVANTS IN CANDLEKEEP The Avowed don’t employ servants. Menial tasks are done in rotating shifts by members of the order, with some – like cooks and bakers – specialising. Other have to divide up the less desirable tasks, typically the most junior-ranked members. The role of Keeper’s aide is usually taken up by a trusted older member of the order, and while it’s far from glamorous work, many are envious of the spacious private quarters that come with the role, as well as the exemption from all other duties. QUEENIE THE CAT Queenie is a 5-year-old female cat with sleek goose-grey fur, blue eyes and distinctive black tipped ears. Despite her regal appearance, she is a stray (there are hundreds in Candlekeep, after a handful were brought in to keep vermin under control, and ended up breeding rather too successfully for many scholars’ liking) who made her own way to Keeper's Tower, which she now considers her territory. She enjoys napping in the middle of the tower’s stairs, preferably in the warmth of the sunlight, where it streams in from one of the tower's few windows; while other favourite siesta spots are the comfier of Janussi’s two armchairs and Miss Hollypocket’s bed. Both human and gnome a soft spot for her, although the former would close the door to her at night, while the latter would let her sleep with her, and provide her with snacks and saucers of milk too. If the party have a means of talking to Queenie, she will start any interaction by questioning their presence in her territory. “I didn’t order any more ticklers! And good tickles are the only good reason for disturbing my beauty sleep…” Queenie can be a useful witness to the party, but she doesn’t think in human terms. For example, when measuring time, she doesn’t distinguish between night and day: she divides both these periods into “cycles” of 8-16 hours. These cycles are then divided into first hunt (dawn/dusk), first nap, first prowl, second nap (noon/midnight), second prowl, third nap and second hunt (dawn/dusk… the second hunt is also the first hunt of the new “cycle” of 8-16 hours). She refers to most humanoids as “two-leggers”, adding things like “glass-eyed”, “tailless”, “lizardlike” or “horned” to differentiate between them. Regarding Janussi, she calls him “the clumsy two legger,” as he often trips over her on the stairs, much to her irritation. His quarters are “the napping chamber,” while he is described as “a good tickler, but his miaows are complete gibberish.” Miss Hollypocket is referred to as “the feeding lady,” and described as “an average tickler, and the milk in my saucer is rarely as warm as it should be…. but at least she can miaow properly.” Note: As a forest gnome, Miss Hollypocket can communicate with Queenie. If the party twig this, the gnome is happy to translate on their behalf. Queenie, however, is less pleased to be interviewed in this way. DMs should remember that Queenie can’t understand common, so she can’t report anything that was said during any meeting she witnessed etc., as she wouldn’t have understood any conversations not conducted in feline terms. WHAT QUEENIE KNOWS… • Queenie had sidled into Janussi’s chamber on Deadwinter’s Eve around 11:45 am (“second nap”) and settled in his armchair, only to be rudely awakened some 30 minutes later by Sylvira Savikas (“the horned two legger”) blasting the armchair next to her with magic missile. She made a sharp exit, in order to escape more devilry from “the demon lady.” • Later that day, she followed Janussi to his chamber after Deadwinter supper at 8 pm for her first nap of the new cycle, where she saw Fheminor (“the short legged one”) arrive and then later Daral (“the stinky

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY 39 breath one”). There was too much shouting by the latter for her liking, so she retreated into the corridor, where later she saw Daral run downstairs with a “hypnotic block” (book) in his hands. • After next spending some time in Miss Hollypocket’s apartment, Queenie went back out onto the tower’s staircase for her “second prowl” of the nighttime cycle. Seeing the “horned demon lady” coming down the steps she ran for cover (This was in fact Bookwyrm, disguised as Sylvira, on her way back from the chamber). “She didn’t smell like the demon lady though,” she might mention. If pressed on who it did mell like she says: “How should I know? I try to hold my breath whenever a two-legger passes... it’s clear that you hardly lick yourself at all! I've met cleaner dogs in my time! ” • Queenie also ran into the “goat-faced two legger” (the beareded A’lai Aivenmore), that morning (“first hunt”) as he went up to Janussi’s chamber, but doesn’t have any new information. If the interview goes on too long, at some point Queenie will say: “So many questions and so few tickles. You may leave now - and please give yourself a proper licking before returning to my tower!”

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 40 CHAPTER 3: EVERY READER HIDES A SECRET O nce the players are done with their investigation in the Keeper's Tower, they are due to report back to Bookwyrm. Their adjutant, Fembris Lancer, doesn't leave their side at any time, and reminds the heroes of their promise to the First Reader if they forget, or if they attempt to continue with the investigation without making their report. REPORTING TO BOOKWYRM If the party head back to the Chapter House, they will find that the council of Great Readers has been disbanded, and that Bookwyrm is in conference with a slender human male of around 50 years, notable for his bald scalp and black sidewhiskers that chisel down into a goatee beard. The figure is Kei Tigersteel, the Lorekeeper of Candlekeep, who serves as priest at the Temple of Oghma (see p.12-13 of Candlekeep Mysteries). He is considered the library’s spiritual leader. The same moon elf scribe halts them at the door, telling them they must wait until Bookwyrm and Kei are done. However, anyone who succeeds on a DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check overhears the following whispered conversation from the doorway of the Chapter House. “First Reader, please allow me to take the body to the temple to be sanctified and buried. We cannot leave him mutilated and desecrated before the gods,” urges Kei. “And you're sure you don't have the power to resurrect him?” asks Bookwyrm. “Without the heart I fear there's nothing to be done, except to ease his soul's passage to the afterlife.” Once Bookwyrm spots the party waiting at the door, she ushers them in and introduces Kei Tigersteel, who bows politely in their direction. She asks if the party have concluded their investigation of the crime scene, and if so she gives permission to Tigersteel to arrange for the transfer of the body to the Shrine of Oghma for purification and dismisses the priest. RESURRECTION RESTRICTIONS The small print in D&D spells offers DMs and designers some fantastic material to leverage in our adventures. In Candlekeep Murders: The Deadwinter Prophecy I wanted to use the restriction in the raise dead spell that states: “If the creature is lacking body parts or organs integral for its survival… the spell automatically fails,” as a story hook. In this case, it was the fear that the priests of Candlekeep might be able to resurrect Janussi using raise dead, that caused Bookwyrm to hack out and hide the Keeper’s heart. If we apply the game’s mechanics to the letter of the law, this was never a danger as 5e doesn’t furnish us with a “head priest” stat block, or any other NPC stat block, capable of casting raise dead. You can correct this story disconnect, and make Bookwyrm’s actions more meaningful by using my Temple Rituals mechanics (on my blog), that would allow Kei Tigersteel to cast raise dead as a ritual harnessing the power of Candlekeep’s other priests. INVESTIGATORS’ OFFICE Once alone with the party, Bookwyrm is keen to know all the salient details of their investigation, after which she walks them to a nearby room know as Deneir's Sanctum, which serves as a shrine to Deneir, and library dedicated to the art of writing and study. Bookwyrm says the party can use this room as their office to interview anyone they wish, as part of their investigation. She tells them they can rely on Fembris Lancer to fetch any suspects and witnesses they wish to speak to, while Bookwyrm instructs the moon elf scribe (Vooshadi Moonriver, 97 years old, apprentice wizard) to stand guard outside the Sanctum. The First Reader reminds the party not to move around Candlekeep without an adjutant, whether that be Fembris or Vooshadi. If the party search Deneir’s Sanctum they find

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY 41 hundreds of rather dry tomes on writing theory, of little interest to the average adventurer. One slim tome with an attractive mauve leather cover stands out however. It’s called Megfry’s Candlekeep Miscellanea and contains hundreds of factoids about the the library, such as the height of the High Tower (525 feet above the level of the sea), and a list of every Keeper of Tomes up until 1356 (when the book seems to have been published). PROOF OF AUTHORITY Depending on how confident she is that the party are on the wrong / right trail, Bookwyrm isn’t necessarily in a rush to facilitate the party’s investigation. However, if pushed, she will produce a letter, signed and sealed, giving the investigators the authority to interview any person in Candlekeep and granting them access to all areas of the Great Library during daylight hours. The letter will contain the condition that they are accompanied by a member of the Avowed, and be dated with a 48 hour time limit. THE CASE CONTINUES… Having investigated the crime scene, and likely spoken to two key witnesses (Miss Hollypocket and Queenie the cat), the adventure should now lead the party to the second stage of the murder investigation, namely interviewing suspects and any other witnesses. They are likely to want to speak to all of the Great Readers, and they may wish to visit the Southern Dining Hall (the scene of the Deadwinter Supper, at which all the Great Readers gathered the evening before), as well as the Oak Tree Apothecary, especially if they have deduced that poison was the likely cause of Janussi’s death. The remainder of this chapter covers all the likely avenues of investigation the heroes might undertake. THE SOUTHERN DINING HALL The Southern Dining Hall is a large hall under a triangular roof, located above the light-filled Readers’ Salon in the southern appendage to Exaltation. The Dining Hall can be reached from stairs leading up/down to the Readers’ Salon, as well as a door that leads to the main section of Exaltation, allowing junior members of the Avowed to bring food up from the kitchens during occasions like Deadwinter Supper. The room has been dressed up with seasonal decorations, namely a 12-feet-high fir Evergreen Tree decorated with ribbons and baubles and lights, and tendrils of holly, ivy and mistletoe that have been hung over the hall's wooden beams. The room still smells of smoked fish, and spiced wines (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger), from last night's supper, mixed with the scent of pine needles. And while most of the plates and goblets from the feast have been cleared away, the clean up job was a perfunctory one at best, and there are still scraps of gift wrapping paper on the floor around the table. On one side of the room, on a raised step, is an 8-feet-high lead statue of a handsome troubadour. He is raising a toast with his chalice, while holding a piccolo in his other hand. A successful DC 10 Intelligence (Religion) check is enough to recognise the figure as Milil, god of song and poetry, as well as feasts and revelry. INVESTIGATION CHECK Anyone who searches the room can make an Intelligence (Investigation) check, revealing the following information when a checkpoint is achieved on the roll. • On a DC 10, they find a scrunched up piece of wrapping paper, with Janussi’s name written on a ribbon-label, discarded in a wicker bin. If the wrapping paper is unscrunched, the handler of the paper might notice (DC 10 Perception check), traces of a fine ochre dust, almost the same colour as the paper. Anyone proficient in the Poisoner’s Kit can identify this dust as midnight tears poison

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 42 on a successful DC 20 Intelligence (Poisoner’s Kit) check. (Note: Anyone handling the paper is liable to get midnight tears on their fingers, leading to possibly ingesting a dose or two). • On a DC 15, they find a note amongst the left over wrapping paper and ribbons, that have yet to be tidied up. It is written in infernal and reads: “Meet me in the Lecture Theatre of the High Tower after midnight.” • On a DC 20, they find a half burnt label in the brass dish of a candle holder, covered in wax. If they scrape off the wax they can see a single word remaining. The word is 'tears' and is written in the sylvan language. • On a second successful DC 20 checkpoint, they notice a glass bauble at the back of the Evergreen Tree which doesn't look like the other ones. It is a different shape and colour glass, and appears to have a label torn off it. On closer inspection it looks like a small vial that has been repurposed as a bauble. A successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals that there are traces of ochre dust (midnight tears) still left in the vial. • On a DC 25, they notice some faint scratches, possibly claw marks, on the feet of the statue of Milil. If they choose to search the statue and clamber up to look inside the chalice (which is about 10 feet off the ground), they will find a bloodstained sack, in which is a human heart, a meat cleaver and stick of incense. WHAT HAPPENED HERE? The clues found in the Southern Dining Hall pertain to the following events: BEFORE SUPPER The first key event that took place in the Southern Dining Hall was Daral Yashenti laying down his Deadwinter gift for Janussi, under the boughs of the Evergreen Tree (next to the other gifts), around 11am on Deadwinter’s Eve, before rushing up to the Keeper’s Tower for his end of year meeting with with the Keeper. The second key event is Alkrist sneaking into the Southern Dining Hall around 4 pm on Deadwinter’s Eve. Finding the gift labelled for Janussi, he carefully unwrapped it (in doing so he was obliged to cut and retie the string that held the wrapping parchment together). DEADWINTER GIFTS At this time of year, according to tradition, each Great Reader is randomly assigned one colleague for whom they should anonymously buy or make gift, so that each Great Reader buys and receives a single present. It had fallen to Daral to gift a present to Janussi, a fact that was widely known as he had complained about it several times in the Refectory in the weeks leading up to Deadwinter. In the end, Daral decided to give the Keeper a book out of his own private collection, a beautifully-bound, extremely rare copy of the comic novel, The Golden Ass by a writer known simply as Lucius. He wrapped the present in plain brown parchment, tied it with string, labelled it for Janussi, and left it under the Evergreen Tree. Next he sprinkled the midnight tears poison he had stolen form the Oak Tree Apothecary over the edges of the pages of The Golden Ass, emptying the entire vial of toxic ochre dust in doing so; and then he re-wrapped the present. After doing so, he fortuitously noticed a resemblance between the empty vial of poison and the coloured glass baubles on the seasonal Evergreen Tree, and decided to disguise this key piece of evidence as a festive decoration, tearing off the label that says “midnight tears” in both common and sylvan. Finally, needing to dispose of the label, he went across to a candelabra on the edge of the room. Alkrist was in the process of burning the label when Orrin Glass, a 67-year-old human scribe and Irony, an 18-year old tiefling acolyte, arrived to prepare the hall for the Deadwinter Supper, preventing him from finishing. The latter was carrying a basin of water. The dragonborn instinctively reached for his pipe, and feigned to be lighting it, to cover for his puzzling behaviour by the candle. It then struck him that he might have got midnight

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY 43 tears on his fingers and pipe and so he asked Irony to hold the basin out for him and proceeded to wash both his hands and pipe. He then told the young tiefling to be sure to throw out the water and refill the basin with a clean draw. The tiefling did as she was asked. DEADWINTER SUPPER Deadwinter Supper began at the 5th bell in the afternoon of Deadwinter Eve. All of the Great Readers attended, along with First Reader (Bookwyrm) and the Keeper of Tomes (Janussi). The food consisted of 12 plates: beetroot soup, fried carp, smoked mackerel, mushroom dumplings, spiced cabbage, wheat pudding, stuffed quails, roasted potatoes, flat bread, gingerbread, poppyseed cake, honey-glazed rice cakes. It was served with a range of drinks: fruit compot, spiced wines and ales, honey vodka, green tea. The supper was served by three junior members of the Avowed: Orrin Glass, Irony, and Sprig Summerfoot, a 23-year-old female halfling. The job of waiting on the Great Readers for the evening is considered an honour. All of the food was brought out on large platters and placed on the dining hall table to be passed around and shared, while drinks were poured from large carafes. (Note: this would have made it almost impossible to poison the Keeper of Tomes’ individual food or drink). Witnesses agree that most of those gathered were in tense and taciturn mood. Alkrist was perhaps an exception, and the dragonborn cheerfully expounded on a new project he intended to undertake next year: Tales of War By the Generals That Waged Them, in which he planned to compile first-hand insight and strategies from warlords and military commanders around the word. Teles scoffed that the project sounded as likely to succeed as Fheminor’s S.H.I.T.S. programme (which offended Fheminor much more than Alkrist, who didn’t seem bothered by the comment). Janussi meanwhile took the opportunity to praise Alkrist’s proposed new direction as “the kind of knowledge that can benefit civilisation” and reminded those gathered that: “Determining which branches of knowledge to further is our privileged responsibility, and we must be careful to make the right choices.” The Keeper of Tomes went on to ask for more solidarity in the coming year and “to get behind one another.” At which point Daral muttered under his breath: “Oh you’ve been right behind one of us all right!” It was not clear if she was angry with Daral’s or Janussi’s comment, but at this point Sylvira stormed out of the Southern Dining Hall, and Teles took advantage of the distraction to put a note in Irony’s pocket, as she refilled his goblet. (The note fell to the ground however). Kazryn then suggested it was time to hand out the gifts under the Evergreen Tree, and took it upon herself to take each gift and give it to the corresponding Great Reader. Janussi took his gift, unwrapped it, offered thanks to his “secret donor” and then excused himself, throwing away the wrapping paper in a wicker basket near the door as he left the Southern Dining Hall. Some of the other diners stayed a little longer to enjoy a last drink and chat between themselves (at least those few on civil terms with one another), but most made their excuses and left. The waiters took away the dirty plates, but Bookwyrm told them to take any leftovers to their dorms and enjoy the rest of the night rather than clean up every last crumb and piece of detritus. (Typically on Deadwinter’s Eve the younger scholars gather in their dorms, exchange presents and drink a bit too much honey mead). AFTER SUPPER By 9 pm the Southern Dining Hall was deserted and it remained so until Bookwyrm snuck in around 2 am. She hid the Keeper’s

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 44 heart and the meat cleaver she used to hack it out (plus the incense she used as a component to cast speak with dead) in the chalice of the lead statue of Milil. She reasoned that here it will be safe from divination magic like locate object, and she will be able to hatch a plan to dispose of this evidence safely at a later date. In clambering up the statue, to deposit the sack of evidence in the chalice, she scratched the soft metal with the claws of her feet. THE WAITERS It’s likely that the heroes will want to speak to some or all of the junior members of the Avowed who waited on the Great Readers during the Deadwinter Supper, especially given that some of them witnessed other important events potentially related to the murder of the Keeper of Tomes. IRONY Irony (apprentice wizard) is a young acolyte of great potential, who hopes to become Keeper of the Tomes one day. Honest to a fault, she is incapable of lying (but not of withholding information). If quizzed about the Deadwinter Supper she is able to share most of the information in the Deadwinter Supper subsection of What Happened Here? If she feels the party are competent and trustworthy investigators, with Candlekeep's best interests at heart, she relays the curious presence and behaviour of Alkrist, prior to the Deadwinter Supper. If quizzed about her relationship with Teles Ahvoste, she blushes rather. While she appreciates the mentorship the Great Reader, she is smart enough to realise he is attracted to her - a feeling that is definitely not reciprocated. Indeed, she deliberately let the note he passed her fall from her pocket as an excuse not to read or act upon it. One thing Irony is unlikely to mention, during any first meeting with the investigators, is her midnight antics with Fembris Lancer. After drinking a bit too much honey mead, she dared her friend to race her up the Bell Tower - a place where the Beast of Candlekeep is alleged to frequent. From here she gazed out across Candlekeep and saw what looked like Sylvira Savikas talking to a huge ape-like creature that clung to the side of the Cursed Tower. After ducking down and covering her ears from the peal of the midnight bells, she and Fembris looked out over Candlekeep again to see Sylvira hurrying back towards Exaltation. (She may come to the party with this information later, if she feels she can trust them and that it might important to their investigation). Trait. “I am determined to master magic and rise through the ranks of Candlekeep.” Ideal. “Truth is the foundation of knowledge.” Bond. “Candlekeep is my past, present and future.” Flaw. “Manipulate is an ugly word, but sometimes I find it expedient to take advantage of certain situations.” SPRIG SUMMERFOOT If Sprig Summerfoot (commoner with History +2) is interviewed about the events of Deadwinter Supper, the 23-year-old halfling acolyte gushes in great detail about the twelve delicious dishes served during this feast, praising the work of Candlekeep chefs. She mentions that she enthusiastically volunteered to be a taster of each of the dishes, to ensure they weren’t poisoned (this wasn’t something the chefs considered necessary, but Sprig insisted!). If steered towards events other than the food, Sprig can confirm that the atmosphere at dinner was “as icy as the weather.” Sprig actually witnessed a separate event later that night, which she is willing to share if prompted. When she left her dorm to go to the kitchens to grab some cookies (“I often get late night rumblings in my belly!”), some time around 1 am, she ran into Sylvira Savikas searching for something by candlelight. She greeted the Great Reader, but the tiefling only pointed at her throat by way of reply, suggesting she was too hoarse to speak. “I helped her find a pot of honey and bade her goodnight.”

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY 45 ORRIN GLASS Orrin Glass (commoner with History +2) is Candlekeep’s finest cartographer and his beautifully illustrated and inked copies of the library’s most important maps draw admiration from his peers (as well as providing a source of revenue for the Avowed, as they fetch huge sums). Something of an oddball, Orrin can lose patience with people rather quickly, while being completely deaf in one ear, and hard of hearing in the other, hinders his communication skills. In deference to his ability and service to the library, many of the Avowed have learned the basics of a signing language that enables them to communicate better with the scribe. While Orrin is famously forgetful of spoken instructions, he has near perfect visual recall, a potentially useful trait as a witness. For example, if asked to think back to his brief encounter with Alkrist in the Southern Dining Hall before supper, he remembers that the Great Reader seemed to drop a small scrap of paper that he’d been holding towards the candle upon seeing the two junior members of the Avowed arrive. If asked about anything else he saw out of the ordinary, he remembers noticing that the string tied around Janussi’s Deadwinter gift had clearly been cut and retied. THE GREAT READERS Interviews with each of the Great Readers should reveal plenty of potentially crucial information about Candlekeep's internal politics, including possible motives for murder. Some of the information will be conflicting, however accounts of the basic details of Deadwinter Supper are consistent amongst virtually all of the interviewees. The Great Readers are presented in order of how suspicious they are likely to appear to the players at this point of the adventure. SYLVIRA SAVIKAS Sylvira is a tiefling archmage whose primary area of expertise in the Great Wheel of the Planes. She is a proud and forceful woman, who is widely disliked by the other Great Readers on account of being the lover of Janussi, as well as a powerful magic user who researches the occult. Around 13 years ago she became pregnant when exploring the Abyss. She raised the resulting child in secret, housing him in a mordenkainen’s mansion in her quarters in Candlekeep. However, the child escaped around three months ago and has been occasionally spotted jumping across the Great Library’s rooftops at night. With the Gatewarden’s cooperation, Sylvira had managed to check the rumours of “The Beast of Candlekeep”, however Janussi discovered her secret and threatened to banish her son back to the Abyss. WHERE TO FIND SYLVIRA? Sylvira has been confined to her quarters in the Readers’ Tower, ever since being bitten by her son, Moziqodo, last night. She was trying to coerce her fiendish offspring back into his gilded cage (a mordenkainen's mansion she had crafted for him, to grow up safe from harm), when he lashed out at her, biting her right arm. As a result, she has contracted Abyssal Plague (see Sewer Plague on p.257 the DMG, but the exhaustion takes effect after 1d4 hours and the DC of the saving throw is 15), and is suffering one level of exhaustion. She is feeling nauseous, has regular cramps, and her right arm is swollen and paralysed.

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 46 Sylvira replies to any interview summons by sending back a message that she has a bad case of winter flu and would gladly welcome the investigators to her quarters instead. Sylvira’s quarters are on the 4th floor of the Reader’s Tower’s five levels, opposite those of the absent Great Reader, V’ziir-Ag. GETTING TO READERS’ TOWER All of the Great Readers are lodged in Reader's Tower, the second most westerly tower in Exaltation (after the Bell Tower). On the way there, the players must pass through a small section of the Western Gallery, catching a glimpse as they do so of a snowcovered Philosopher's Court. The court features a giant chess set, which in warmer months is a popular congregating point for members of the Avowed. Now the 3-feet-high pieces, along with the chequered tiles that make up the board, are covered in snow. Note: Be sure to drop this detail into your narrative as this unassuming location (the oversized chess set) can reveal an important clue later in the adventure. INTERVIEW WITH SYLVIRA Sylvira uses mage hand to open her door to the investigators, while she herself is sitting up in bed, wrapped up in elegant lilaccoloured bed robes. She greets the party as warmly as she can, but there’s a feverish sheen on her copper-red skin, lines under her magnetic golden eyes, and her blue-black hair is tangled and greasy. Sylvira orders her quasit familiar, Jezabel, to organise the chamber’s seats in front of her bed (two armchairs and two ottomans), and offers the party a drink of wine or coffee, which Jezabel prepares. A faux-fireplace blazes incandescent, making the room uncomfortably hot. Nonetheless, Sylvira can’t refrain from shivering involuntarily every so often. The archmage is deeply upset, shocked and concerned by the murder (news of which receached her earlier in the day), in which she had no part, and is willing to collaborate with the investigation. Nonetheless, the archmage is very keen to avoid incriminating herself (and smart enough to realise others will be suspecting her!). Nor will she admit anything that might compromise the safety of her son, by admitting his existence and presence in Candlekeep. DMs can use the “Sylvira’s Story” table to guide her likely responses during any interview, contesting Insight checks with Deception +7, when necessary. RUNNING INSIGHT IN D&D I always advise DMs that they should roll their players’ Insight checks in secret, behind their screen, if they wish to avoid the use of this skill becoming an infallible lie detector. This advice is never more important than when running a murder mystery! Note: DMs may also need to simulate a Deception check for an NPC that is telling the truth, in order to keep players guessing. If the party take on an accusatory tone with her, her shock will lead to anger, and she will likely defend her name with more than a hint of sarcasm and derision aimed at the investigators. Throughout the interview, Sylvira tries to hide her bite and its effects, saying that colds and flus are common in Candlekeep this time of year. Those who succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom (Insight) check notice that the tiefling can’t move her right arm. A player who then passes a second DC 17 Wisdom (Perception) check, notices that the cloth of her bedrobe has a small, dark, wet stain on the right upper arm that causes it to stick to her skin (this is the blood oozing through the bandaged bite wound, inflicted on her by Moziqodo her demonspawn son). If the party discovered the silver button when searching Janussi’s chamber, have them roll a DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check. On a success, they notice that the right sleeve of Sylvira’s night gown is held by a similarshaped button, but that her left is buttonless, with a loose hanging thread. The button is indeed Sylvira’s, but it was lost several weeks ago, and if the topic is mentioned Sylvira will reply sardonically: “Congratulations, you’ve divined that what the whole of Candlekeep already knows… that Janussi and I were

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY 47 lovers… Am I supposed to be ashamed?” If Sylvira is told that she was seen in the kitchens or making her way back from Janussi’s late at night she categorically denies these reports (and she is telling the truth - it was Bookwyrm disguised as Sylvira). She tries to explain such sightings by explaining she is a hated figure in many quarters of Candlekeep, and claims that she is the victim of prejudice in the order of the Avowed on account of her tiefling blood. If any of the players mention that she was reported holding a candle or lantern, she laughs at them. “Why would I do that? I can see better than a cat in the dark!” ROLEPLAYING SYLVIRA Sylvira has a smooth deep voice and makes strong eye contact with her interlocutors, sitting very upright. She is dignified but dramatic (think 1950s Hollywood actress), and can be sarcastic to boot. Trait: “I'm willing to take risks to further my knowledge.” Ideal: “We need to think big! The multiverse is so much bigger than the Material Plane.” Bond: “I will do anything to protect my son – apart from send him away from me.” Flaw: “I've been known to let my personal life interfere with my work.” Secret: “I've been hiding my demonspawn son in Candlekeep, and he now roams the Great Library at night.” SYLVIRA’S STORY Hour Event What Actually Happened Sylvira’s Account of What Happened 10:15 am Kalan Strongbranch met with Sylvira in her chamber Kalan approached Sylvira and asked her to intercede on his behalf with Janussi to let him keep his job (he has turned a blind eye to her demonspawn son roaming Candlekeep). Sylvira assured him she will speak to Janussi after Deadwinter dinner. Sylvira has almost forgotten this meeting, after the tumultuous events of the rest of the day. In any case she doesn’t mention it, unless asked directly, in which case she tells the truth. 11:30 pm End of year meeting with Janussi Janussi told Sylvira that he knows about her demonspawn son, who has been spotted with increasing frequency roaming Candlekeep at night. He gave her an ultimatum of 10 days to find a solution or he would have no choice but to banish him. Sylvira blasted an armchair with magic missile, and stormed out calling Janussi a ‘traitor’. Sylvira claims that the two of them spent the meeting discussing a new library dedicated to the Great Wheel of the Planes. If pressed she concedes the meeting ended with an argument ‘about a personal - and private - matter’, but denies calling Janussi a ‘traitor’. 5-8 pm Deadwinter Supper Sylvira attended this festive meal along with all the other Great Readers. She stormed out in digust when Janussi suggested that the Great Readers support each other in the year to come. “It was the same drab affair, right down to the dishes, as every year. At any rate I didn’t stay until the end, as I started feeling a flu coming on.” 11:30 pm Sylvira set off to visit her son, Mosiqodo Sylvira snuck out of Exaltation to visit her demonspawn son, meeting him on an elevated walkway which leads to the Cursed Tower. She was desperate to coax her son back into the mordenkainen's mansion she constructed for him, for his own protection. She tried gently at first but then forcefully. He lashed out and bit her, infecting her with Abyssal Plague. If the party have evidence that Sylvira was seen out and about, she claims she went for a walk as she was having hot flushes and hoped the cold night air would do her good. She denies talking to any creature, and claims that superstitious scholars see “The Beast of Candlekeep” in every shadow, but if there was a beast roaming the Great Library the Gatewarden would have found and dealt with it by now. 12:30 pm Sylvira arrived back in her chambers Sylvira arrived back in her chambers and tried to treat her wounds. She soon succumbed to the effects of the Abyssal Plague. Sylvira claims to have come back from her walk and gone to bed. Sadly her flu worsened. If anyone claims to have seen her after that she suggests: “There are members of the Avowed, Great Readers included, who foster hatred against me.”

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 48 WHO DOES SYLVIRA SUSPECT? Sylvira is keen for the real murderer to be caught, and willing to share any potential motives for murder that her peers might have. She is particularly suspicious of Daral Yashenti, who she saw storm out of Janussi’s chambers before her own meeting, and moreover is an acerbic drunk who was bitter at having to sell off some worthless poetry to fund a new library on the Great Wheel of the Planes. She also doesn’t trust Teles Ahvoste at all, and is sure to share with the investigators that the archmage had always remained hostile towards Janussi, after being overlooked for Keeper of the Tomes nearly 20 years ago, despite being older than his rival, and generally considered a more skilled practitioner of magic. Sylvira also shares that “the bitter old hag” Kazryn Nyantani always resented Janussi for ditching her in favour of Sylvira. “As if it was my fault she is frumpy old bore.” SEARCHING SYLVIRA’S CHAMBERS If the party suspect Sylvira, they may try to search her chambers for clues that could incriminate the Great Reader. Given that she’s too exhausted to leave, it’s unlikely they’ll find her quarters unguarded, but if they manage to catch her away from home they will find the door locked (DC 15 to pick, DC 20 to break down) and further protected by arcane lock. The room is decorated with expensive furniture, often displaying demonic and celestial motifs. The décor includes several expensive, rare animal rugs; a large, giltframed, oval mirror; several bookshelves, full of rare tomes and valuable spellbooks, including the work of Mordenkainen; a large writing desk; a cabinet full of tied-up magic scrolls (DM can determine which); and a huge wardrobe, full of elegant dresses, robes, and gowns. Clues-wise and players can find letters in a locked draw of her desk that confirm that she and Janussi were lovers, and that hint that the Gatewarden is a romantic admirer of hers. While at the back of her wardrobe is an invisible door, which leads to a permanent mordenkainen's magnificent mansion. If the party dare to enter the mansion, they will find that the interior resembles a large, sprawling cave, the walls and ceilings of which gives off a faint aura of moonlight. The cave is full of scores of twisted leafless trees, with strong thick boughs (which Moziqodo used as a playground), while a bed of soft pelts can be found in one section of the cave. A number of quasits run and turn invisible if anyone arrive. Sylvira’s chambers are protected by a permenant mordenkainen’s private sanctum. DARAL YASHENTI Daral Yashenti is a tall, wiry 48-year-old human male (master sage), whose primary areas of expertise are music and literature. A talented poet, he has an almost unbearably high opinion of himself and his work. He is a functioning alcoholic, and is typically encountered with blood-shot eyes, unshaven jowls and stale breath. WHERE TO FIND DARAL? If the party send either Fembris Lancer or Vooshadi Moonriver to find Daral and summon him for an interview, they eventually track down the Great Reader at the Hearth, where their request is met by a curt, two-word reply. “If anyone wants to speak to me they can find me here,” is the longer message he sends back to the investigators.Other places Daral frequents would be the Pillars of Poetry, School of Drama, Melodrome or Tower of Tall Tales (see p.102 for more on these libraries). INTERVIEW WITH DARAL If the party go to meet Daral at the Hearth, they discover him drunk and in good spirits. He sarcastically greets the party when they arrive: “Oh look it's Faerûn's most famous detectives! Bookwyrm's Brownnosers I'm going to call you... because you like to stick your nose in other people's business!” Daral

THE DEADWINTER PROPHECY 49 finds his own joke hilarious. “Lighten up guys, we seem to have got off on the wrong foot... barman a round of spiced brandies for our beloved Brownnosers! My treat!” The reason for Daral's good mood is because he had resigned himself to the fact that he would be kicked out of Candlekeep after his physical altercation with Janussi, but instead his hated boss has been knocked off by someone else entirely - ridding him of a problem and getting him off the hook. Daral had no hand in Janussi's murder and gives a mostly truthful account of events, albeit from his perspective, if quizzed. He can be hazy on details, given his drinking habit. You can use Daral’s Story table to shape the Great Reader’s responses to questioning. He concludes: “When I heard he was dead, I half fancied the old git had died of a heart attack after our scuffle and that I'd be held ROLEPLAYING DARAL YASHENTI Daral is abrasive, vulgar and temperamental. Being a poet he has a way with words, particularly insults. His mind has the habit of reshaping events to cast his (usually despicable) behaviour in a better light. Trait: “I look down on witless cretins without the wherewithall to appreciate a perfect pentameter.” Ideal: “Moderation is the best friend of tedium. Let me bath in beauty… and wine!” Bond: “I'm building the greatest collection of poetry the world has ever seen... Bards and scholars will flock to Candlekeep to consult my library!” Flaw: “Why would the gods share the secrets of creating wine, if they didn’t want us to drink it?” Secret: “I would have killed the Keeper if I thought I could get away with it!” DARAL’S STORY Hour Event What Actually Happened Daral’s Account of What Happened 11:00 am End of year meeting with Janussi Daral dropped off his present for Janussi under the Evergreen Tree, in the Southern Dining Hall, before arriving ten minutes late for their meeting. Janussi told Daral he needs to sell ‘unscholarly’ poetry to raise funds for a new library on the Wheels of the Plane. A shouting match ensued. Janussi also told Daral that from tomorrow he would be banned from drinking before dinner time. “That philistine wanted me to sell off priceless works of poetry to fund that worthless tomes on demonic planes of existence no sane person will ever visit... Just to please his horned tart! He is not fit to be Keeper of the Tomes! An uneducated bookseller is what he is! What hewas rather...ha ha, may the gods bless whoever bumped him off.” 5-8 pm Deadwinter Supper Daral had no special role to play at Deadwinter Supper, apart from the odd sarcastic comment. “Sitting there listen to that buffoon patronise us over wheat pudding… it was all I could do not to vomit on my plate.” 10:30 pm Daral confronted Janussi in his chambers After knocking back a bottle of honey vodka, stolen from supper, in his own quarters, Daral was sufficiently emboldened to march up to Janussi’s chambers and confront him. Insults were loudly exchanged, and in a pique of anger Daral seized back his Deadwinter gift - The Golden Ass - from the Keeper’s desk. Janussi tried to stop him and a brief scuffle took place. While trying to break free of the Keeper’s hold, Daral smashed his face with the hefty book, fracturing and bloodying Janussi’s nose. Realising he had gone too far, the Great Reader escaped as fast as possible… “After supper, I went back to my chamber for some quiet reflection, but the man's impudence weighed heavily on my mind Keeper or not, he needed to be set straight about a few things! When I arrived at his chamber, the shameless hypocrite was engrossed in one of the very books he'd have me sell! I felt I had no choice but to deprive him of the pleasure he wishes to deprive Candlekeep of and so I took back my gift. He took exception to this and set upon me like a common thug. In defending myself, I may have caught him lightly on the nose…” 11:00 pm The Hearth High on the adrenaline of the 'fight', and fearful of the consequences, Daral went to the Hearth to drink away his worries. Both Little One and the barkeep saw the Great Reader looking pale and shaken, as he knocked back brandies until nearly 3 am. “The Keeper’s assault left me rather shaken, so I decided to head to the Hearth to try and calm down a little. If I’d had quill and papyrus on me I would have penned my resignation letter right there and then!”

CANDLEKEEP MURDERS 50 responsible! But then I heard about the heart being hacked out of his rib cage… I can assure you I left him with nothing but a bloody nose.” WHO DOES DARAL SUSPECT? Daral doesn’t have any incriminating evidence on any of his colleagues, but that won’t stop him gleefully speculating on who the real killer is: “You know that half of the Great Readers would do anything to get their greasy hands on the top job! Including killing the incumbent…” “Teles thought he was first in line last time round... The deluded old git!” “That A'lai Aivenmore is spoiling to rule the roost, the preening cock.” “Fheminor was seething about the dissolution of her precious S.H.I.T.S. Don’t be fooled by her stature, she has a steely nature.” “And don't rule out Bookwyrm. There's no telling what's going on in her lizard brain. They're not like us, you know... they're cold blooded. They eat their young if they're hungry... murdering crowbait like Janussi, that's nothing.” “Maybe our beloved leader finally had the cojones to stand up to his little devil tramp. She wouldn't have liked that... not one bit! Oh that would be rich, if she was the one who ended up killing the old codger…!” SEARCHING DARAL’S CHAMBERS Daral’s chamber reveal little of the order and discipline much prized amongst the Avowed, and is rather a dumping ground for the Great Reader’s papers, books and clothes, amongst which are scattered dozens of empty or half drunk carafes of wine, glasses of spirits and pewters of ale. The air is stale and fetid. In terms of valuables, a locked trunk contains some fine robes, a sack of 200 gold pieces and a silver flute. The door to the chamber is locked (DC 15 to pick, DC 20 to break down) only when Daral remembers to do, i.e. around 50% of the time. DARAL & THE GOLDEN ASS After stealing back The Golden Ass from Janussi, Daral carries it to the Hearth, handling only the cover (it was the inside pages that Alkrist laced with midnight tears). After being reminded to take it home with him by Brygon the Barkeep, Daral slots the book in one of the roomy side pockets of his cassock, retires to his quarters and falls asleep fully clothed. The book remains in his front pocket all of Deadwinter’s Day until he goes to the baths around 11 pm to try and sweat out his hangover. He takes the book with him to the hot pool, intending to do some reading as he soaked. Carefully keeping his hands and the book dry he repeated the habit of Janussi and licks his fingers in between turning the poisoned pages. If the heroes haven’t intervened he suffers a heart attack at midnight and drowns. Note: you can give the players a better chance by having Daral flick through the book earlier in the day. He now has faint black spots on his tongue and fingers. NARRATIVE VS. MECHANICS The 5e rules of poison don't really threaten high level characters and NPCs, while highlighting the unrealistic nature of hit points. I feel there's a need for DMs and players to accept that NPCs are governed by more realistic rules than they are (in which poison threatens the meek and mighty alike), but if you're desperate for this story to make sense using D&D mechanics, then simply consider that both Janussi and Daral ingest multiple doses of the highly concentrated form of midnight tears A’LAI AIVENMORE A’lai is a human male 47-year old (master sage with 16 Charisma), whose studies of the gods has inspired him to crave immortality for himself. He believes that the tomes locked away in the High Tower Library may help him achieve this goal, and plans to share their secrets with his ally Manshoon, one of Faerûns most powerful wizards and a known expert in the art of cloning. Deadwinter's Eve however was a bad day for A'lai Aivenmore and his ambitions. First he was confronted by Janussi on the whereabouts