101 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU He will happily agree to switch rooms with any of the adventurers, though ask that they humor him by sharing meals every now and then. His partner, who refers to as “the good doctor”, passed away not long ago, and he admits he’s gotten a bit lonely. If any of the PCs agree, he’ll be delighted, and is a wonderful conversationalist, preferring to ask the PC questions about themselves than divulge much about himself. Raum’s Secret: Remember, Raum is actually an expert assassin and a member of the Outer Seas. He’s on his way home, for good, and is not looking forward to it. The PCs make for an excellent distraction. Nevertheless, suspicious players might wish to dig more into Raum, and can discover the following: DC 15 Investigation Check: If they have access to his belongings, and succeed the check, PCs will find that Raum has quite the selection of poisons that he keeps hidden inside one of his tailor kits. They will also find a signet ring depicting a raven perched atop a crown. DC 20 Insight Check: if they discover his poisons, and confront him about it, Raum will say that they are merely for altering dyes and he had no idea they were poisonous. As for the ring, well, that’s a memento from his late partner. A successful check will reveal these to be a lie, of course, though Raum refuses to change his story. Yasviga Reinwald: Talk Like a Pirate Saltwind and his crew are sailors to the core, and adding some colorful pirate lingo can help this come across. I recommend using it in moderation, as a little bit will go a long ways, though if you sense your group needs more levity than sprinkle in even more. Either way, you’ll find some useful sea-faring vocabulary and grammar below: • Avast! - this is used to convey surprise and direct someone’s attention, or to convey disbelief. So it can either mean ‘Hey! Over there!’ or it can mean ‘yeah, right,’ complete with an eye roll. • Aye - affirmation. Yes. Can be used twice ‘aye aye!’ to emphasize agreement or obedience. • Bucko - a very informal way to refer to a male. Can also be interchanged with ‘Lad’. • Me Beauty - used to refer to something precious or dear, such as the ship or a significant other. ‘Aye, the Pelican be me beauty,’ would indicate Saltwind is married to his ship. Or, if you decide he’s a bit of a lecherous fellow, calling an adventurer ‘me beauty’ would indicate his attraction. • Me Hearties - used to affectionately refer to a group of people. Usually in reference to the crew, but could be applied to the adventurers, too. • Mate / Matey - an informal way to refer to either gender. • Lass - a very informal way to refer to a female. • Ye - you. Basic Shipboard Directions • Bow - The front of the boat. All directions are given assuming you’re facing the bow. • Port - Left side of the ship. • Starboard - Right side of the ship. • Stern - The rear of the ship. Basic Pirate Grammar: • Always say ‘me’, instead of ‘my’. So ‘my ship’ becomes ‘me ship’. ‘That’s my grog!’ becomes ‘That’s me grog!’ Try adding ‘me’ in front of all pronouns. So ‘bucko’ becomes ‘me bucko’, or lass becomes ‘me lass’. • Instead of saying ‘is’ or ‘are’, say ‘be’. So ‘that is true’ becomes ‘that be true’, and ‘you are a true friend’ becomes ‘ye be a true friend’..
102 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU Yasviga Reinwald (pronounced Yas - vi - ga Rine - wald) is a tall, athletically built human woman with amber eyes and long, dark hair. She dresses in noble traveling attire that’s a few centuries out of date, though clearly of recent and fine make. Around her neck is a silver chain bearing a signet ring that’s impossible to decipher without pressing its imprint into wax. Yasviga spends most of the day in her cabin, consuming tremendous amounts of grog, sleeping the day away, and enjoying the company of several sailors that visit her in rotation. At night, however, she tends to haunt the weatherdeck or wander up into the rigging to gaze at the beauty of the night sky. She’s not standoffish, but can be quite rude and superior in attitude. Clearly, she’s of noble birth, obvious by the expensive clothing, her refined posture and bearing, and the ever-present sense of entitlement. She’s not mean, per se, but is certainly used to a certain lifestyle and happens to be returning home after a few years abroad. Her family, it seems, is from Wreythau and her parents are Count and Countess no less. So, perhaps unsurprisingly, Yasviga will not change rooms unless the PCs can offer her something extraordinary in return. What counts as extraordinary depends upon the DM’s discretion. Yasviga’s Secret: In truth, Yasviga is exactly what she says she is, the eldest daughter of Count and Countess Reinwald, though what she won’t say is that the Reinwalds are from Wreythau. What’s more, they’re no ordinary nobles. Far from it. They are actually the blessed Children of Vargr, an Archfey that had visited Wreythau long before even the Ghul Sildreth came. Yasviga and her family are an ancient lineage of skinchangers steeped in Fey magic, and are far from your average werewolves (see the entry on the House of Reinwald for more information). It is no curse for Yasviga, but rather a source of primal power, and she is in complete control. There’s no danger of the players being trapped aboard a ship with a rampaging werewolf, as fun as that would be. Or, at least, no danger of a rampaging Yasviga. She’s decided to turn one of the sailors into a member of her pack, though it turns out he’s not strong enough for the “gift”. See ‘Events of the Voyage’ for more details. Yasviga’s Knowledge: As a native of Wreythau (as well as one of the monsters that haunts the land), Yasviga knows quite a lot. In fact, she knows a great deal about the history and mystical nature of her homeland, though she’d never share that knowledge to any but her closest kin. That said, she’s happy to talk about Wreythau in general, will blithely express the following: • “Wreythau is such a wonderful land. The forests are so lush and vibrant, and the hunting is simply exquisite. Far beyond what you can find elsewhere. I’ve really missed going on a proper hunt, it feels like it’s been an age. Why, before I left, I went on a marvelous hunt. I managed to get an elk and a hunting cat! You should have seen the look on their faces, it was almost like they were aware of the irony!” • “Well, the peasants are a little backwards. Not much worse than you lot, though, but don’t take offense. It’s really not that much different than anywhere else, only the biggest cities are properly civilized. Oh, I can’t wait until I can meet my family in Raffenberg. They throw the most wonderful parties!” • “I suppose you do need to be careful, though. Since there’s so much game in the forests, there’s a lot of predators, too. It’s not so bad if you know how to listen to the land.” Rahved Mirsk: Rahved Mirsk (pronounced Raw - ved Mer - sk) is a pale, almost skeletal human man with dark eyes and black hair. He dresses in frayed robes, and the skin of his hands is stained and mottled from exposure to unknown chemicals and inks. His eyes shift uneasily, and he constantly mutters under his breath about various calculations and chemical reactions. As the adventurers might guess, Rahved is an alchemist, and an extremely dedicated one at
103 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU that. Obsessive, really, completely absorbed with his work and blind to almost all else. He’s set up an elaborate work station on the other side of the room and can only be persuaded to take it down or move rooms if one of the adventurers agrees to become his test subject. A DC 14 Persuasion Check will convince Rahved that testing only one potion is sufficient. See “Events of the Voyage” for more information. Rahved’s secret: Rahved is actually a wanted criminal, and a DC 15 History Check will reveal that he is wanted in multiple kingdoms for charges related to kidnapping, murder, and experimentation on sentient beings. Morality and Ethics are meaningless to Rahved, only knowledge matters, and while he has become something of a genius when it comes to alchemy, engineering, and medicine, he’s as monstrous as any Demon. Thankfully for the adventurers, aside from testing a potion or two, they’re safe from his attentions as he won’t risk getting thrown overboard before reaching his objective: the home of the fabled Mad Alchemist of Inbarev. Vara Skade: Vara is a statuesque half orc woman with green skin, pointed ears, and hair a blue so dark it’s almost black. She wears dark clothing suited for harsh travel and always carries a handaxe on her belt. Her bow, arrows, and other tools are all stowed in her cabin. Vara is a skilled Gloom Stalker ranger, a grim woman haunted by spectres of the past. She boarded The Pelican for much the same reasons as the adventurers: to find the Wreythian Merchant Consortium. She’s been tracking them for quite some time, having been made aware of just how insidious and malevolent the organization is after they killed her liege with a poison that slowly drove her insane over the years, something Vara discovered when the dead lady’s garments were passed on to a non-blood relative that soon began to experience the same symptoms. This set her on a trail of suspicion and over the years Vara has uncovered many of the Consortium’s secrets, though ironically, isn’t aware that she’s on one of their ships. She will confide in the adventurers, seeing them as allies, and revealing most of what she knows. Feel free to pull from the “The Founding of the Merchant Consortium” for Vara’s knowledgebase. Otherwise, despite the trust she places in the adventurers, she is not keen to move cabins because she doesn’t trust the other passengers. They could be the very enemy she hunts, but that doesn’t mean she can’t be convinced. Musical Cabins There are four cabins available, as well as the crew quarters which consist of a large, open room below deck with swinging hammocks and unlocked chests. The cabins, however, are quite large, and can easily fit three people as long as the third person doesn’t mind stringing up a hammock. Captain Saltwind doesn’t care who sleeps wear, though he firmly believes it’s not his problem. He won’t force anyone to move anywhere they don’t want to and will forcefully remove himself from any discussions surrounding sleeping arrangements. His only job is to make sure the ship gets from A to B and everyone gets there alive. That’s the end of it, as far as he’s concerned. Therefore, it’s the adventuring party’s job to figure out their accommodations. Events during the Voyage: The following list of events highlights important narrative encounters that will allow the characters to learn more about the strange, ominous land they’re traveling to, as well as build more unease and dread. Use as many events as you’d like, or feel free to add your own to make the voyage a thrilling experience for your players. They can be used in any order, though they are numbered for ease of use.
104 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU Event 1: The Captain’s Table (Unease) A few days into the journey, Captain Saltwind will invite the adventurers to dine at his table. The food served during the voyage has been fine so far, though the menu that Saltwind’s steward offers should tempt the characters: fine elvish wine, malt beer, red meat off the bone, vegetable pie, fresh seafood, and gnomish mousse for desert. The steward will extend the offer every night until the players agree. This is an opportunity for the players to find out more about Wreythau, and an opportunity to help sprinkle in more unease. Saltwind has become quite jaded over the years and his judgement of what might disturb others is quite poor. Combine that with his dark sense of humor and it should make the dinner a suitably chilling affair. When it comes to running the dinner, let the players take the lead if they’re inclined to. Saltwind will answer their questions and participate in their chosen topics of conversation. If the party is more hesitant, or unsure what to talk about, Saltwind will alternate between asking the players disturbing questions about themselves and telling tall tales about Wreythau. See below. When the players finally agree to attend the dinner, read the following: As soon as the fourth bell sounds for the dogwatch, at about 6pm, the steward summons you for dinner with the Captain. He leads you to Saltwind’s cabin at the stern of the ship. As soon as the doors open you are treated to a vision of worn and faded finery. Once, a grand carpet stretched beneath an exquisite dining table, with an elvish crystal chandelier hanging above. Now the carpet is frayed, the varnish on the table has begun to wear away, and several pieces of the chandelier have cracked. Further into the room you spot a massive canopy bed that sags in the middle, as well as a grand desk that has fared about as well as the dining table. Clearly, Saltwind once possessed great wealth, though he’s now facing much leaner times. Saltwind greets the adventurers with a broad smile and a hearty clap on the back for the sturdiest looking member of the party. He beckons them to the table, where jugs of wine and pitchers of malt beer wait at the ready. The food is brought out soon after and proves to be as wonderful as the steward promised. The ship’s cook clearly spends most of their time preparing these feasts, and somehow, Saltwind has a way to keep the food fresh and well preserved
105 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU despite being stored aboard the ship. As the food is served, Saltwind engages the players in conversation. Below are examples of examples of conversational topics that Saltwind will bring up. Some are questions, others are tall tales, and designed to help provide a framework for the conversation and add unease. Use them as you see fit to engage your players. Saltwind’s Conversational Topics: • “Aye, tis fitting we have this dinner, me hearties. Fitting that we celebrate! So far there’s been no sign of the beasts of the deep. Strange creatures they are that ply the waters between here and our destination. So raise a glass and offer a prayer that this isn’t just the calm before the storm.” • “Now just why is it that ye be willing to cross the sea to such a dreaded place? Just what do ye know about the land they call Wreythau?” • “They say it’s a land of cursed monsters they do, and that might be true enough, but beware, for the most wretched, foul creatures ye’re bound to meet are those wearing the face of man and woman. There’s religious fanatics crawling all over that island that are worse than any demon. Why, I’ve seen a man claw out the eyes of another with just his fingernails, and all for a piece of moldy cheese. What do ye think a man is capable of that feels the hands of the gods upon his shoulder?” • “Well, what of ye? I heard ye killed some monster or other back in that town. Just what does that mean ye’re capable of? If pushed, what do ye think ye have it in ye to do?” • “Steer clear of the forests, as well as ye might. There’s strange beasts lurking in the shadows of them woods. Some say they’re as afeared of ye as ye might be of them, though others say they’d skin ye alive just to hear ye scream. Bad business, either way. Fear can do monstrous things to a person. Have ye ever seen such?” • “There aren’t many villages in that kingdom. Can’t afford to spread out. Some say that’s just due to it being such a hideous place to live, but others say it’s cause of the taxes. Aye, the taxes, if ye can believe it. Every settlement has to pay, in coin, produce, and the very people themselves. They call it the blood tithe. A certain number must go off, and sometimes, aye, sometimes they return. Such is the commandment of the Queen. An eldritch being of vast power, they say. Immortal, she is, they say, though none have laid eyes upon her in centuries. What truth there is, I can’t say.” • “Beware of the Knights of the land. Fell warriors they are, and all fear them. They feast upon the blood of the fallen and absorb their strength, and live for nothing else. I’ve seen it with me own eyes, once. Only a fool would challenge one. What do ye say, me hearties, does that include any of ye?” • “To the south they say there’s an Alchemist the likes of which ain’t never been seen. Say he can do far more than just raise the dead, but that he can create new life all his own, too. Now that would be a sight to see, don’t ye think?” • If your players have questions for Saltwind, use your best judgements, though below are some things that he knows and is willing to share. Saltwind’s Knowledge: • The ruler of Wreythau is the Endless Hunger, the Blood Queen, She Who Never Dies. They say she’s a vampire, a being possessing godlike power, though none have seen her in centuries, if she ever existed at all.
106 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU • If Saltwind can be tripped up (perhaps with a fast-talk Persasion roll) he will reveal that the Queen’s name is Czerina Gavronova. A DC 20 History Check will reveal the following: over a thousand years ago there was a human empire known as Nostrovishte. The last Tsar of the empire, Alexandros I, had a sister named Czerina Gavronova, though not much is known about her. Alexandros disappeared only 2 years into his reign, and the empire crumbled shortly thereafter. • The Blood Tithe and all other taxes are gathered by an ominous figure known as The Tax Collector. They say he’s the prince consort of the Blood Queen, and acts as her viceroy, though he claims to act only under her authority. • In the past, settlements tried to defy The Tax Collector, and the result was so terrible that none dare to defy him now. • The dominant religion is the faith of the Morning Lord, comprised of the Church and the Inquisition. • The headquarters of the Merchant Consortium is in Raffenburg, the grandest city in the land. • The Reinwalds are a strange noble family. They rule over a county, though exactly what the boundaries of that county are, no one really knows. They hold wild parties and love to hunt, though are quite secretive and insular when it comes to the business of their family and their land. The dinner with Saltwind ends whenever interest or energy flags. If desired, the dinner could even be broken up over several nights, perhaps interspersed with other events. Event 2: Secrets of the Hold (Dread) This event reveals more of Saltwind’s past and his ties to the Consortium. It can also establish a strong current of dread, as the adventurers realize they’re trapped aboard a ship crewed by their mysterious adversary. The event triggers in the night or the early morning, while most everyone is asleep and it’s just before the change in watch. Have characters roll Perception, and whoever rolls the highest hears it: a muffled scream from down in the hold of the ship. Someone is in pain, and calling for help, though its faint, barely coming up through the timbers. The adventurers were told not to go into the hold, though they also know it’s not locked. If the adventurers go to get a crewmate and let them know about the noise, the sailor will respond with a tired surliness, but eventually agree to go check it out. By the time they get below deck the noise has stopped. The annoyed sailor chews out the adventurer for pulling a prank, and do you know how long they’ve been working, they just pulled a double watch! Pah! Away with you! Hopefully, at this point, the character will then gather their companions, or at least check out the noise themselves. Remind them that the voice was clearly in pain and distress. You descend down the wooden steps into the depths of the hold and see what looks like an endless maze of crates and barrels stretching out before you. But then you hear it, a faint scrabbling sound, like small claws scraping across the timbers, and you smell blood in the air. It’s not just the sea, but rather that sharp tang of copper tinged with a hint of sweet. It’s unmistakable blood, and fresh, too. Delving deeper into the stacks you venture far into the hold, towards the bow, where the motion of the ship ploughing through the waves is at its worst. Here, the deck rises and falls unsteadily beneath your feet. Finally, you see it. Tucked away, out of sight, is a small compartment that’s been built into the hold. The door yawns open, and a pool of blood leaks out from inside. As you approach and look in, you see a flurry of scurrying rats disappearing into the crevices of the ship, as well as their grisly feast. A sailor’s leg was crushed and pinned by a cannon that had broken loose, and they’d lain there helpless as they were eaten alive.
107 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU Aside from finding the dead sailor, the players can learn the following: A DC 12 Investigation Check reveals: that there are several flags from different kingdoms, forgeries meant to help disguise the ship. There is also a jolly roger, a black flag, that only means one thing: piracy. They also find: a small chest filled with 11 signet rings from various noble houses, many covered in old blood. A box of old ledgers is filled with details of exotic animal smuggling, human trafficking, and contraband goods. The destination of all of it? Consortium. A DC 15 History Check: will identify the noble houses the rings belong to, and the character will recall that three of those houses tragically lost family members during sea voyages. Most of the others had family members disappear from polite society due to various flimsy excuses, and a few admitted to having to pay a ransom to save their loved ones from kidnapping. A DC 15 Investigation Check reveals: that the cannons show signs of frequent use, but all are still operational, even if few in number. And, as players would recall, many of the “repairs” on the ship would disguise cannon ports. If confronted, Saltwind won’t confirm or deny it. He’ll just point out that they’re in the middle of the open ocean and that it takes a crew of at least 12 to sail the ship, at minimum, 20 to be safe, so it really isn’t worth starting trouble, now, is it? Event 3: The Potion (Unease) This event only occurs if one of the players agreed to test Rahved’s potions. He refuses to share the details of the potion, saying he doesn’t want to skew the results, though he will promise that it will not do any permanent damage. A character may use detect magic and then pass a DC 15 Arcana Check to reveal that the potion is imbued with complicated transmutation magic. If the adventurer drinks the potion, read the following: The potion is colored a muddy brown, shot through with bright swirls of red, green, and blue. The glass vial is cool to the touch, and the potion is almost flavorless as it hits your tongue. Instead, it fills your mouth like an oily sludge that seems almost eager to slide down your throat, leaving a bitter aftertaste and the hint of licorice. Nothing happens. Boril Saltwind —Medium human, Neutral Evil Armor Class 15 (studded leather armor) Hit Points 65 (10d8 + 20) Speed 30 ft. STR —DEX CON INT WIS CHA —15 (+2) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 14 (+2) Saving Throws Str +4, Dex +5, Wis +2 Skills Athletics +4, Deception +4 Senses passive Perception 10 Languages any two languages Challenge — 2 (450 XP) Actions Multiattack. The captain makes three melee attacks: two with its scimitar and one with its dagger. Or the captain makes two ranged attacks with its daggers. Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage. Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage Reactions Parry. The captain adds 2 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it. To do so, the captain must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon. Saltwind’s Crew —Medium humanoid, Neutral Evil Armor Class 12 (leather armor) Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2) Speed 30 ft. STR —DEX CON INT WIS CHA —11 (+0) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) Senses passive Perception 10 Languages Common Challenge — 1/8 (25 XP) Actions Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) slashing damage. Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage.
108 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU Yet. Nothing happens yet. Rahved will simply ask the adventurer questions about how they feel, such as: can you move your fingers and toes, has anything affected your vision, how does your stomach feel, has the temperature in the room changed, etc. Everything seems to be normal, however. Rahved nods sagely and tells the adventurer to report any further symptoms. Surprise! That night, the adventurer begins to develop symptoms. Read the following: You’re awoken from your slumber by a cramping pain in your gut. It feels like something is alive, something is inside of you that is trying to get out, but even as you scrabble at the flesh of your stomach you feel the strength leaving your body. Heat washes over you and sweat soaks through your clothing as you begin to boil alive, and then the following happens. Have the player roll a d6 and tell them the results: 1d6 Description Effect 1. Your limbs grow limp as your bones meld into your flesh. The sweat coating your skin thickens into a sticky slime that clings to every surface. Suddenly, a fear of the ground strikes you, and you desire to climb up somewhere high, though you can resist this desire. You can cast Spider Climb once, within 24 hours. After 24 hours the potion wears off. 2. Acid wells up from your stomach, burning your throat and dribbling from your lips. Instantly, it burns through any cloth, as well as up to 1 inch of wood. Speech becomes difficult as acid drools from your mouth. You can cast Tasha’s Caustic Brew at 2nd Level (DC equal to 8 + proficiency + Con modifier) once, within 24 hours. After 24 hours the potion wears off. 3. Your stomach swells as something grows inside you, and the feeling of hundreds, if not thousands, of wings fills your insides. You can feel tiny feet tickling your organs, just begging to be let out. A swarm of poisonous moths fills your stomach for 24 hours or until used. The swarm cannot harm you. As an action you can vomit forth the swarm. The swarm will add 1d6 piercing damage to your weapon attacks once per turn. The swarm lasts for 1 minute once outside of you. 4. Fire consumes your skull as it stretches and grows, feeling as though it's tearing itself apart. You cry out in pain, though only the sound of a bird comes out. You decide which bird you sound like. The pain feeds, leaving you with a massive beak attached to your face. You grow a beak. You can now speak to birds, but cannot speak any other language. Your beak does 1d8 piercing damage, plus your strength modifier, and you count as proficient in it. This lasts for one hour.
109 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU 5. Your bones begin to vibrate inside, shaking your muscles and organs, until finally your skeleton settles, though you feel stiff and much heavier than before. You become magnetic. Any metal object within 30ft that is not tied down or fixed in place immediately flies towards you and clings to your body. Creatures must make a DC 15 Athletics check to hold onto metal objects in their possession. This lasts for one hour. 6. You feel the bones in your hands stretch, tearing through the skin, only for a terrible rash to sprout from your forearms, scales erupting from your flesh as you watch your hands transform into the heads of vicious dragons. Your hands become enraged dragon heads. The heads can bite once per turn, dealing 1d6 + 3 piercing damage, and can also breathe a 15ft cone of fire that deals 3d6 fire damage. The dragons will bite and breathe fire at everything around them, including you. This lasts for one hour, or until you become unconscious. Rahved will insist that the potion worked perfectly after he is informed of the results. If the players threaten them, he will offer to give them 5 potions as compensation. The potions are random, and use the table above every time (although you are welcome to create new tables if you wish). The only difference is, once someone has taken their first potion they will experience the effects of their next potion instantly. The first potion always takes some hours to activate. If attacked, Rahved will attempt to save himself by throwing a vial of knockout gas at his feet. The Adventurers must succeed a DC 13 Constitution Save or be knocked unconscious. If they’re all knocked unconscious they will wake up locked inside a storage room in the hold. This makeshift brig is where they will spend the rest of the voyage unless they try to escape. Which admittedly, won’t be easy, though then they’ll have Saltwind and his crew to deal with. Of course, Rahved isn’t particularly hard to kill. He has 6 hit points, and aside from his intellect, doesn’t have any extraordinary stats to worry about. If he’s killed, well, Saltwind will give the characters a stern talking to, and the other passengers might give the adventurers a wide berth (except Raum), but otherwise Saltwind has already been paid and isn’t particularly bothered about tossing a body overboard and continuing the journey without giving it another thought. Which, of course, reveals quite a lot about the ship they’re passengers on. Event 4: Murder Most Foul (Dread) This event is only triggered if Vara and Raum have been convinced to room together, OR if the adventurers have been talking to Vara about the Consortium where other people can overhear them. As badass as Vara might be, she’s not used to skullduggery and subterfuge and thus relies on the judgement of the adventurers over whether it’s safe to talk in the open. However, if they do discuss the Consortium in the open, then that would inevitably lead to her death. As friendly as Raum might be, he is an expert assassin and a member of the Outer Seas branch of the Consortium. If he finds out that Vara wishes the Consortium harm, which might be due to gossip amongst the crew or his own eavesdropping, he will consider himself obligated to do something about it. That something will include murder. You lean on your strengths, after all. The murder can be as bloody or as stealthy as you like. If you desire a shocking, brutal murder, read the following: As the sun rises once again, you hear the frantic clanging of the warning bells. Something is terribly wrong. As you rush from
110 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU your quarters below decks you are greeted with cries of murder and follow the commotion to the stern of the ship where a grisly scene awaits you. Blood coats the deck and has spatter in viscous sprays across the ship’s railing and the various barrels and crates lashed nearby. Vara lies upon her back, several daggers plunged into her stomach and chest. DC 12 Medicine Check: Vara was actually killed with a single strike to the back with a long slender blade that was angled so it slipped through the ribs and up into the heart. She died very quickly. Nevertheless, her tongue and her eyes have been cut out, along with the additional mutilation which was all done post mortem (after death). DC 15 Medicine Check: There are signs of poisoning. Subtle, but present. The poison would have made the target feel fatigued and nauseous, thus diminishing their awareness and making them an easier target. The poison was ingested. DC 12 Insight Check: This isn’t just a murder, this is a warning. The killer wants you to be afraid that if you proceed as Vara has been, this is what will happen to you: a violent death, ruthless and sudden. DC 20 Investigation Check: A lock of hair has been subtly cut off. Clearly a memento. However, if you would prefer that the death be more subtle, then Vara will simply disappear. Suddenly, she will be gone. All of her belongings will still be in her quarters (wherever they are), though she, herself, is absent. No one knows anything. It is simply an utter and complete void that has opened among them. Vara is no longer on the ship. If played well, that could be even more terrifying than the sight of the grisly murder. The unknown is a powerful source of fear, after all. Event 5: The Howling (Unease) This event will reveal something of Yasviga and the Reinwald’s true nature. Unlike the other possible events listed you will need to sprinkle in pieces of The Howling all throughout the journey in order to properly establish the unease. It is also recommended that, if you wish to use Event 4: A Murder Most Foul during the voyage that you choose to make Vara’s murder subtle. This way, having multiple instances of bloody savagery won’t dull the effect it has upon the players. It also might lead them to believe that the two events are connected, and while they aren’t, it will deepen the mystery of both. Essentially, this event is the result of Yasviga having taken a liking to one of the sailors, and having decided that she wants to bring him into her pack. That means deliberately infecting him with a particularly potent strain of lycanthropy. The transformation takes place over a period of days on the voyage, each one escalating and contributing more unease, hence the need to sprinkle them throughout. The Sailor is a half-elven man named Dorin. He’s quite the handsome fellow with bright green eyes, thick, dark hair, and a sculpted physique that he loves to show off. He’s a little vain, to be sure, though he’s also one of the liveliest members of the crew, constantly telling jokes that make even the most arduous or disgusting shipboard duties easier to get through. No wonder Yasviga has taken a liking to him. Unfortunately for him, the transformation hits him hard. Use the following mini-events to help illustrate this. Stage One: During the evening meal, which is held in the mess hall with the rest of the passengers and crew (a great set piece for conversing with the other passengers), the adventurers notice something a bit strange. One of the crew has gone back for seconds. The cook informs him that no one but the passengers are entitled to seconds, which the crewman (Dorin) begins to argue. He
111 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU accuses the cook of skimping out on ingredients, making them all starve to save a bit of coin. The argument soon begins to escalate until Yasviga approaches and demands seconds herself, which she promptly gives to Dorin. A DC 12 Insight Check reveals the surprise that ripples through the crew. They know Dorin well and have never known him to start trouble. They’re shocked at the display of anger. DC 15 Insight Check reveals that more than a few of the crew are shooting fearful looks at Yasviga. Everyone knows Dorin’s been spending time with her. It seems they’ve connected the dots. A DC 17 Persuasion Check can convince the crewmates that have connected the dots to impart the following: “Only a fool’d get on the wrong side of the Reinwalds. Vicious lot they is. If she’s claimed ‘im then he’s lost to us, and ye’d best stay out of the way. Don’t stick yer nose in it, lest it get bit off, or don’t say we didn’t warn ye.” Stage Two: A few evenings later, the adventurers spot Dorin in the mess hall again. He seems to have bulked up considerably since they last saw him, his physique particularly shredded and rippling with muscle. Is it just their imagination? And are the rest of the crew giving him a much, much wider birth? A DC 13 Medicine Check will reveal that, yes, Dorin has gained a significant amount of muscle mass in an impossibly short time. His hair is also longer than before. A DC 12 Insight Check will reveal that, yes, the crew are afraid of Dorin. Everyone, even the other toughs on the crew, are eyeing him cautiously and doing their best to keep their distance. Stage Three: The sounds of a fight break out on the weatherdeck. By the time the adventurers race there, describe the following: The sound of frantic shouting fills your ears, nearly drowning out the primal, blood thirsty screaming of one of the combatants. As you shove your way to a good vantage point you see three sailors barely managing to restrain a struggling Dorin, dragging him off of the limp body of another crewman. Blood has spattered Dorin’s fists and clothing, though your eyes are drawn to the stream of blood flowing from the corners of his mouth as he screams and howls as he is dragged away. A DC 13 Perception Check reveals that, yes, there were bloodied fangs in Dorin’s mouth. A DC 12 Medicine check reveals that the bloodied and beaten sailor is alive, and will recover, though there is a nasty bite mark on the side of his neck that will leave a large scar. A DC 18 Arcana Check will diagnose Dorin’s condition as most likely being the result of: demonic possession or a curse. Lycanthropy would be one example of such a curse. Stage Four: The adventurers no longer see Dorin at meals, nor on any watch. Coincidentally, Yasviga has started taking meals in her cabin, and drinks herself into a stupor more often than not, shunning the company of others. Next, call for a perception check while the adventurers are sleeping. Whoever has the highest result will hear the very faint sounds of furious, angry screaming and the rattling of chains somewhere deep in the bowels of the ship. If they follow the sounds, they will discover that Dorin has been chained deep in the hold. Essentially, it’s a wooden storage locker built into the ship itself, and Dorin has been manackled and chained inside. He roars and screams and throws himself against his bonds, the sound of deep growls emanating from his chest. A lone sailor stands nearby, guarding the locker. She warns the adventurers to stay back and that under no circumstances should he be let him out. If the adventurers don’t listen and decide to free him, then they will have a werewolf fight
112 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU on their hands, which is tremendously dangerous as the werewolf is immune to most attacks. However, Dorin’s primary motivation will be escape and so he will only attack if his escape is blocked. At this point a ship-wide werewolf hunt would erupt, and culminate in Dorin being driven into the sea. As for Yasviga, she’s confined herself to her cabin for the remainder of the journey. Saltwind and his Sailors would protect her from the adventurers, if necessary. Event 6: Blood Sacrifice (Unease and Dread) This event is the last to occur, happening as the ship nears the boundary between realms, and leads directly into Act 3: The Storm. When you’ve judged it’s time for this event, read the following description: In the morning you awaken to the sound of bells being run across the ship. At first you feel the blood quicken in your veins, but after a moment you realize that it’s not the warning bell, but is instead...something else. There’s a rhythm to it. Frantic, but there’s definitely a pattern to the harsh, clanging of the bells. As you ascend to the weatherdeck you see a flurry of activity. Every sailor, even the night’s watch, is hard at work. What’s more, they’ve hauled all of the live animals up out of the hold and have begun to slaughter them in teams. Is it for a feast? No, as you get closer you realize it’s some bizarre ceremony the entire crew is performing, chanting and singing as they slaughter the goats, chickens, pigs, and domesticated giant spiders (kept aboard for the silk, of course). The sailors gather the blood in buckets, with the entrails in another, and then the buckets are brought to crews that have rigged hoists over the side of the ship. They descend down the hull and begin to paint ritualistic symbols and runes onto the timbers, chanting all the while. If the player characters stop any of the sailors and ask them what’s going on, they will reply that they are preparing for The Crossing and that they’re warding the ship to protect it from the fog and hide it from the Leviathans. A DC 14 Arcana Check reveals that, surprisingly, the runes being painted in sacrificial blood actually do have magical properties, though they seem to be a mixture of abjuration, conjuration, and necromancy. This is far more complex than anything simple sailors should know. A DC 14 Religion Check will reveal that the foundation of this magic is actually Druidic in nature. It’s a much bastardized druidic magic, but Werewolf Dorin —Medium humanoid, Chaotic Evil Armor Class 11 in humanoid form, 12 (natural armor) in wolf or hybrid form Hit Points 58 (9d8 + 18) Speed 30 (40 ft. in wolf form) STR DEX CON — INT WIS CHA —15 (+2) 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 10 (+0) Skills Perception +4 Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren’t silvered Senses passive Perception 14 Languages Common (can’t speak in wolf form) Challenge 3 (700 XP) Shapechanger. The werewolf can use its action to polymorph into a wolf-humanoid hybrid or into a wolf, or back into its true form, which is humanoid. Its statistics, other than its AC, are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies. Keen Hearing and Smell. The werewolf has advantage on Actions Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell. —Multiattack (Humanoid or Hybrid Form Only). The werewolf makes two attacks: two with its spear (humanoid form) or one with its bite and one with its claws (hybrid form). Bite (Wolf or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage. If the target is a humanoid, it must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be cursed with werewolf lycanthropy. Claws (Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) slashing damage
113 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU druidic nonetheless, and undeniably ancient and powerful. What’s more, the runes have nothing to do with animals, or the sea, but rather with the forces of the Great Wheel themselves, tapping into the energies of life and death, and the spaces between here and there. The ritual is, of course, authentic. It was taught to the members of the Consortium by Czerina herself, long, long ago, passed down to the members of the Outer Seas for centuries. No single sailor knows all of the ritual. Rather, each sailor is responsible for mastering a specific part of the ritual, whether that’s how to slaughter the animals or what runes to paint on that specific section of the stern. Together, the entire crew is able to complete the incredibly complex act of magic, though what they don’t know is that it’s entirely worthless without a font of power and that power comes from Czerina herself. The ritual is really more to grab her attention (even in her slumber) than anything else. Of course, without the runes, it wouldn’t work either, so it’s fair to say they’re equally important. The runes lay the groundwork, and The Blood Queen makes it happen. As the sailors paint the runes onto the ship, have players roll a perception check. The highest rolls will hear the following: Ahead of you, a massive wall of fog looms, rising up out of the sea until it touches the sky. The fog ripples and writhes, as though phantom shapes move just behind it, and then you notice something, just at the edge of your hearing, but it grows louder. It’s a multipitched keening, a discordant, unearthly noise that rises and falls in strange undulations, though it is growing louder. A cry goes up from the lookout in the crows nest. “Avast! Leviathans!” The ritual falters, the sailors beginning to panic before Saltwind strides out onto the deck and begins to lay about with a crop, shouting for them to pick up the pace. That seems to pierce the fear and frantically they get back to work. Over the sides of the boat you begin to start seeing them, massive shapes surging through the water. At first, you wonder if it’s just simple whales that have spooked the superstitious sailors so, but then you notice a massive tentacle breaks the surface, as thick as the most massive of trees, stretching up and up until it nearly reaches the crows nest before it comes crashing back down into the sea with such force that it rocks The Pelican. Fins break the surface, twice as tall as the ship, if not more, and a forest of tentacles rise from the depths all around you. Death is certain...until, at last, you hit the wall of fog. Act Three: The Storm Act Overview: Act Three: The Storm is much shorter than the previous two acts. This marks the player characters’ transition from the Material Plane into the Domains of Dread and builds off the dread from earlier, allowing a release before the dungeon that is Act 4: The Wrecks. However, Act Three also marks the characters’ first interaction with Czerina, the Vampire Queen herself, making it a crucial narrative moment as well as a thrilling struggle to stay alive. As the ship enters the wall of fog it begins to get battered by the leviathans. The players must help the sailors fight off the leviathans before the ship is able to limp out of the fog and right into the teeth of a massive storm. As the players struggle to save the ship, they hear the voice of Czerina on the wind, and see her presence in the storm itself, and though their efforts might be valiant, they are ultimately futile. The ship is sunk and the adventurers must battle through the icy waters towards safety. Leviathans The Leviathans were once whales, but have since been horribly twisted by the influence of Czernobog. Because the crew of The Pelican was so late in completing the ritual (remember, it’s been years since they last attempted it), the ship is left vulnerable, and so they must face these unnatural, eldritch beings in order to escape certain death.
114 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU To begin, read the following: For long moments all is still as the ship glides into the fog. The air is thick with condensation and cold, clouding your view of anything beyond the weatherdeck. But then the deck bucks beneath your feet as something massive slams into the ship from below. The ship thunders back down into the water and rights itself, just in time for a massive tentacle to come crashing down upon the deck. A DC 13 Acrobatics check will allow players to keep their feet, otherwise they fall prone before the tentacle. The massive, writhing appendage is at least ten feet in diameter and crashed into the deck right behind the mainsail. Lines snap and timber splinters, jagged pieces of wood flying through the air. This close, you realize that the tentacle isn’t covered in suction pads like those of an octopus or squid, but is rather covered in huge, suppurating maws filled with row after row of jagged, undulating teeth. Slick ooze gushes from those horrible mouths, covering the deck in slime that’s treacherous beneath your feet. The tentacle is not technically a monster, but is definitely attached to one. Nevertheless, it still poses a threat. To approach the tentacle the PCs must repeat the DC 11 Athletics Check at the start of their turn or else they fall prone and slide towards the horrible maws covering the tentacle. A prone character must succeed a DC 13 Dexterity or Strength saving throw or take 1d8 + 3 slashing damage as they are drawn into a churning, feeding maw. Meanwhile, Captain Saltwind is screaming for anyone to attack the tentacle and get it the hell off the ship or else they’ll be dragged under. The tentacle has 30 hit points and AC 14. Characters that try to stay away from the tentacle face another danger: even more thrashing, grasping tentacles. Any character far enough away (about 20 ft) to be able to avoid the Athletics checks must still succeed a DC 13 Dexterity Save or be snatched up into the air by the tip of another tentacle. If they fail, that Grasping Tentacle will do 1d8 + 3 bashing damage as it crushes them. Grasping Tentacles have 15 hit points and AC 14. They hold the character 30 feet above the deck (3d6 falling damage, DC 12 acrobatics check to halve the damage) and won’t drop them until they take 15 points of damage. Alternatively, the character could escape with a spell like Misty Step. Lastly, Grasping Tentacles do not attack anyone within 20 ft of the first tentacle gripping the ship. Once 30 damage has been done to the tentacle gripping the ship it slithers off the ship (and Grasping Tentacles drop whoever they’re holding and retreat) and a sudden gust of wind catches the sails, pushing them through the fog. Describe the following: Just as the tentacle slips free you hear the roar of the wind as it picks up and catches the sail, sending the ship cutting through the water at full speed. You see massive fins chasing you as the ship cuts through the fog like a thrown spear and a ragged cry goes up from the sailors. The fog begins to thin as The Pelican races forwards, until it finally clears and you see a massive island looming closer and closer. Heavy black storm clouds loom above you, lighting crackling as thunder booms. The wind picks up, roaring in your ears, and you see the sea break against jagged rocks that jut up from the surf like the broken teeth of a monster hiding beneath the sea. The ship is heading right towards them. The captain shouts to attend the mainsail, but as sailors rush to obey the command an arc of searing lightning tears horizontally across the sky and strikes them from the side, catapulting them into the sea. More lighting lashes down, blasting sailors into twitching, smoking heaps. Yet, even through the deadly chaos around you, you see it, salvation, an area untouched by this
115 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU monstrous, freak storm, a graveyard of other ships that have been trapped upon the rocks. If you could make it there, perhaps, you could find safety. From this point on, the adventurers must help to save the ship. The captain shouts the orders, directing them, though savvy players might come up with alternate solutions, and you’re encouraged to work with them. For instance, instead of raising the sails, destroying them with spells or cutting the ropes with well placed arrows could also work. Reward creativity. Saving the Ship: In order to keep the ship from crashing, the adventurers must complete the following. Grab the wheel and steer the ship: DC 14 Athletics Check. Find a route through the rocks: DC 14 Investigation or Survival Check Raise the mainsail: DC 14 Athletics check or ranged method to cut the ropes. Save sailors tangled and helpless in the rigging: DC 14 Acrobatics check. Figure out what is going on: DC 15 Arcana or Religion Check. If they succeed, they realize that there is something supernatural manipulating the storm, something intelligent and angry. If the characters all succeed then the ship is spared from the worst possible scenario and you should read the description immediately below. If any character fails to raise the mainsail, steer the ship, or find a route, then the ship crashes. Skip to the “Shipwreck!” section below. Impossibly, you manage to raise the sail, cutting the ship’s speed, giving you just enough time to navigate through an incredibly narrow passage between the first outcropping of shipkilling rocks. The wind rises, as if in response, howling like an enraged beast around you, though below the roar of the wind you hear something, a voice carried upon the wind. It floats into your ears like the whisper of a lover, a woman’s voice, sibilant and dripping with malice. Ask for an Intelligence Check, the highest roll allowing the character to decipher a snatch of speech from the otherwise incomprehensible utterance. The woman’s voice says: “break their ships...drown the invaders... none shall flee…” Then, describe the following: A sudden crash of lightning shatters the mainmast, splitting it in two and raising a cry of terror from the sailors as it collapses into the water. What once allowed the ship to sail powerfully through the waters has now become a terrible anchor, threatening to pull the ship under. Sailors scramble for the launches, desperate to abandon ship and take their chances in a smaller boat upon the sea. At this point, the characters have a choice: they can either try to save the ship by cutting the cables, or they can try to commandeer one of the launches (rowboats) and see if they can make it to shore. If they try to save the ship, they must each cut a line. The lines have 5 hp and AC 12. If they fail, jump to “Shipwreck!” below. If they succeed then they are able to make a DC 14 Athletics check and a DC 14 Investigation or Survival check to guide the ship into a controlled crash, saving most of the sailors. Continue into Act 4: The Wrecks. If they decide to get in one of the launches, continue on to “Shipwreck!” below. Shipwreck! If still aboard the ship, read the following: Valiantly, you battle to save the ship, though this is no ordinary storm. The wind howls across the decks with enough force to pick sailors off of their feet and send them tumbling into the sea or to break upon the rocks.
116 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU Lightning lashes out of the sky like the scourge of an angry god, and the tides themselves batter the boat, dragging it into a furious riptide that threatens to capsize the ship. The timbers scream and finally succumb in a series of cracks to rival the thunder itself. Clinging to whatever surface nearby, you watch as the sea rushes up to claim you. If aboard one of the launches, read the following: You manage to release the third and last launch, the boat dropping into the water with enough force to bruise, though you hardly care, releasing the oars so you can battle against the tide. You make headway, rowing away from the doomed ship that crashes into the rocks and crumbles like a morsel being chewed by a tremendous maw, though the storm isn’t done with you. Two waves come at you, one to either side like the jaws of the deep rising around you, and before you can cry out they crash down atop you, washing you into the sea. The adventurers are now in the sea and must swim for their lives, although heroic adventurers might try to save as many sailors as they can. First, all characters may perform a DC 14 Investigation or Perception Check to locate debris that will help them stay afloat. If they succeed, they now have advantage on Athletics (swimming) checks, or can grant that advantage to others by passing them the debris. Secondly, all characters must complete a DC 15 Athletics check to swim towards safety. For any characters that fail, choose from the following events below (though they can only get one event): Event 1: Lady of the Deep You struggle against the current of the freezing tides, your arms and legs thrashing as you fight to keep your head above the surface. But then, you feel it, something grabbing at you, and then another, and another, dozens of icy fingers digging into your flesh, the spectral hands formed from the sea itself dragging you down. It’s impossible to fight against the water itself and you’re pulled under, far, far below the surface to what you’re sure will be a watery grave, but then your feet hit open air and you fall into a pocket of air. In the swirling waters around you, you see it, the figure of a woman, tall and proud, formed from the ocean itself. She steps through the bubble, into the pocket of air, and stares down at you. “You are not the usurper! Who are you?” she demands. The character can respond however they wish. No matter what they say, she will send them rushing back to the surface, though if they answer her and tell her something about who they are then this is something Czerina will mention when she meets them in person. A good time to take notes, or tell your players to. Furthermore, if they answer her truthfully, then she will answer one question of theirs in return. Any question. The answer, while truthful, will be brief, however. Event 2: The Dagger You struggle against the current of the freezing tides, your arms and legs thrashing as you fight to keep your head above the surface. But then, you feel it, something grabbing at you, and then another, and another, dozens of icy fingers digging into your flesh, the spectral hands formed from the sea itself dragging you down. It’s impossible to fight against the water itself and you’re pulled under, far, far below the surface to what you’re sure will be a watery grave, but then you see it, something glittering and bright stuck in the side of a spire of rock before you. You grasp it out of desperation and as your hand closes around it you feel the handle of a dagger and the icy grip upon you releases.
117 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU The character is able to swim back to the surface, though they now have a magic dagger. In fact, this is the Dagger of Murder, a legendary relic of the land. See Scaling Relics of Legend in Chapter 1 for more details. Event 3: Touched by the Goddess You struggle against the current of the freezing tides, your arms and legs thrashing as you struggle to keep your head above the surface. It takes everything you have, but slowly, you move through the waves. A crash of thunder sounds above, striking you deaf, and then everything goes white as a bolt of lighting slams into you, your world dissolving into searing pain. Somehow, you stay above the surface, a change in current carrying you towards your destination. The character gains resistance to lightning damage if they did not have it already. Additionally, somewhere (of their choice) on the character’s body is an eldritch mark seared into their skin. Any inquisitor that sees this mark will attack on sight. Any servant of Czerina (including the Consortium) will treat the character with mild deference (up to a point), and the character will gain advantage on Persuasion checks with her servants whenever the mark is visible. Ocean Rescuers If characters wish to rescue sailors from the icy grasp of the waters then they must either pass another DC 15 Athletics check or they must find more debris (DC 15 investigation or perception) and pass it to the sailors. This can only be done one more time per character. After that, the characters will have to reach safety themselves or risk certain death. This moves us into the next act. Act 4: The Wrecks Act Overview Now that the ship has been destroyed and the adventurers have reached the temporary safety of The Wrecks, an area untouched by the storm, giving them a chance to gather their bearings as well as begin to explore this strange, hostile new land. The Wrecks themselves are essentially a dungeon, split into 5 sections, which I’ll summarize below. Section A: The Sun’s Wrath is the starting point of the dungeon. It is the remains of Alexandros’ ancient flag ship, preserved through strange magics, and harboring the ghostly echoes of his soldiers, slain upon Czerina’s ascension through the ritual and her ties to Czernobog. The characters will be able to uncover clues to the past, experience the haunting of the ship, and find some treasure. The only threat that exists in Section A comes from the waters around it, and the hostile fey that lurk within. Regardless, this part of the dungeon is largely narrative, thus allowing for a rest before re-introducing more unease. Section B: Inspiration’s Gift is the next stage of the dungeon, and though it is still ancient, it is from a much more recent era of Wreythian history: the gathering of artists for The Cairn. In this ruin they will learn of a treasure hidden further inside The Wrecks (section C), and encounter the mystical paintings of Isidora, one of Czerina’s brides. This will allow them to learn more of the history of Wreythau, as well as generate more unease amongst the party. Section C: The Floating Temple contains the fabled treasure the adventurers have just learned about, though to claim this treasure is to face grave danger, as the ghostly echo of Alexandros himself guards it. If the adventurers decide that discretion is the better part of valor, this will simply give them more insight into the history of the land and give them one last moment of respite for they plunge into a desperate fight to survive in Section D. However, if the players decide to face Alexandros’ ghost and triumph then they will uncover one of the scaling magic weapons intended for the party.
118 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU Section D: The Drowned Dead is the exit of the dungeon and the adventurers only hope for reaching land. There is little to discover here, and little to win besides the continuation of life itself. Horrible undead monstrosities lurk here, monstrosities that would eventually swarm over the wrecks in search of fresh, bloody meat. This horde is essentially a boss fight, as the adventurers will have to fight through them in order to reach safety. Section E: Sun’s Light, on the other hand, is entirely optional. It is the lair of the aquatic fae that lurk in the waters around the wrecks. They are generally hostile, though are also sentient and thus able to be reasoned with if the players have sufficient leverage. In their possession is another treasure: a Drift Globe, a beacon of hope in such a bleak land. The red path marked on the map (see next page) illustrates how the adventurers will navigate this dungeon. The yellow path indicates the optional path to Section E. Note that it does not require any check to move from Section A, to B, C, or D. The only area difficult enough to warrant an encounter is Section E. Section A: The Sun’s Wrath If the players were able to steer the remains of The Pelican safely into the wrecks then they will have many sailors at hand, which gives great fodder for the DM to emphasize the danger of the aquatic fae, Alexandros’ ghost, or the use them as narrative pieces for possession as they explore the haunted ships. In essence, use these NPCs as a way to emphasize moments of unease and dread, as well as parts of the narrative that you find most important. For this reason, even if the players did not manage to steer the remains of the Pelican into the wrecks, and even if they did not manage or try to save anyone, it is still recommended that you have several sailors having made it to The Wrecks with the adventurers. Note that I specified sailors. Saltwind died during the storm, and the other passengers all made it ashore in one of the launches, though this proves to be far less safe than The Wrecks. The inquisition swoops down and apprehends Raum, Yasviga, Rahved, and Vara (assuming they’ve all lived up to this point), which the adventurers will see while exploring this section. See next page for the Section A Map A1: . If the players managed to save The Pelican, then the ship will have safely crashed against submerged rocks which firmly holds it in place. The adventurers will have one launch (rowboat) left, and at least half the crew still alive. They’ll realize that, while the wreck of The Pelican might be safe for now, they will have to reach the shore, and that means navigating the maze of wrecked ships before them. And, as they still have a working launch, they can freely bypass A1. If the players have had to swim to safety, then they reach A1. Read the description below. Soaked and freezing, you finally manage to swim beyond the reach of the storm, dragging yourselves aboard a piece of ancient debris that’s wedged itself fast into the rocks. Waves gently lap at the wood, a stark contrast to the fury raging just behind you. But, for now, you are safe and have a moment to catch your breath. This piece of debris is about 15 ft by 25 ft and can hold about a dozen humanoids without risk of them falling (or being pulled) back into the sea. The players can undertake a Short Rest here, along with whatever sailors have also managed to swim to safety. Players may also attempt a DC 10 Perception Check to notice that there is a soft glow of light coming from Section E: Mermaids’ Lair (this is the light of the Mermaid’s Driftglobe). However, if they attempt to take a longer rest, they will be interrupted by the fey that lurk in the waters nearby. These fey are part of the Corrupted Sidhe, and closely resemble mermaids,
119 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU though with the exception of their mouths being filled with shark teeth. Most of the mermaids are lounging by the Drift Globe in Section E, though one or two prowl the waters, hoping for an easy meal. Event: The Siren’s Call As the players rest on A1, a few of the mermaids will attempt to lure them into the water by playfully swimming about, singing, and splashing water onto the debris. They will not willingly go onto the debris, preferring to stay in the water. They can also be scared off with a successful intimidation check (mermaids perform a wisdom save), or something similar, though if the mermaids do manage to lure anyone into the water (such as a sailor), they will promptly dive upon them and then disappear with their kill. Feel free to describe the following: As you regain your bearings and take a few well deserved moments to rest, something begins to tickle your ears. It takes a moment for you to realize what it is, but finally it dawns on you: a melody is floating up out of the deep. At first, you wonder if it’s whalesong, except you begin to recognize that there are lyrics, though you can’t quite make out the words. And then you see it, something rippling through the water. Suddenly, it springs into the air in a shower of cold droplets: a woman with green hair, clothing sewn from kelp shells, with the glittering, scaled tale of a massive fish where legs would otherwise be. Then another leaps from the waves, giggling, and the two swim about, looking at you and whispering to
120 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU each other in what might be Sylvan before they swim closer and beckon you into the water. “Come, come,” they say, in common, “we bring to safety!” A DC 14 Perception check will reveal the shark teeth lining their maws. Additionally, if any character speaks Sylvan they can make out the mermaids discussing who looks the best to eat. Note: in order to get off of A1, the players will most likely have to swim, although inventive characters with rope might have other options. The mermaids will remain a persistent threat in the water until one of the following conditions are met: • One of the mermaids is killed. • A NPC or adventurer is killed. • They are scared away, or otherwise persuaded it would be unwise to attack. However, even once one of these conditions have been met, a different group of mermaids can appear whenever is most dramatic. Additionally, don’t be afraid to have the mermaids kidnap a party member rather than outright kill them. Capturing their prey live just means they have a nice meal on hand for later, and so if an adventurer is ‘drowned’ or otherwise downed by a mermaid, have them attempt to flee with the unconscious body and retreat to Section E: Mermaids’ Lair, which can set up a wonderful roleplaying encounter for the captured adventurer as they attempt to negotiate or escape,
121 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU and a desperate rescue operation for the rest of the party. A2: You see a large stretch of water between pieces of an ancient warship that’s been cleaved in two by some unfathomably powerful force. Among the debris you notice a large board that stretches almost 25 feet long and 5 feet wide, as well as a massive, 10ft cubed crate. The waves ripple gently, betraying nothing of what lies beneath. Enterprising characters can attempt to rig a raft or other floating platform using this debris. Any character swimming with a piece of debris has Advantage on Athletics (swimming) checks. However, this water is also a prime mermaid hunting area. Even if having been scared off once before, one to two mermaids will try to attack the party members as they navigate this area, including jumping up onto makeshift rafts or platforms. They will not enter the ships, however. A Perception Check at disadvantage should be made vs the mermaids Stealth to see them as they lurk in the waters below. A3: The central portion of the shattered warship is remarkably well intact, held in place by massive spires of stone that pierce the hull and leave the ship suspended just above the water. It’s clear, as you approach, that the weatherdeck has been scoured clean by countless years of wind and rain, though you can see that the belly of the ship is mostly intact. Pieces of shattered timber jut out like broken bones showing through a wound, though they make for excellent hand and footholds as you climb inside. The interior of the hold is like a vision of hell. the deck amidst fragments of broken weapons and other instruments of war. The stench of blood still lingers in the air, even after all these years, and the air is absolutely still Mermaid —Medium Fey, Chaotic Evil Armor Class 12 (natural armor) Hit Points 22 (4d8 + 4) Speed — 10 ft., swim 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA —13 (+1) 11 (+0) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 10 (+0) Skills Athletics + 3, Perception +5, Stealth + 2 Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15 Languages Common, Sylvan Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Blood Frenzy. The mermaid has advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn’t have all its hit points. Limited Amphibiousness. The mermaid can breathe air and water, but it needs to be submerged at least once every 4 hours —to avoid suffocating. Actions Multiattack. The mermaid makes two melee attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws or spear. Alternatively, the mermaid can make one grapple attack. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) slashing damage. Grapple. Melee weapon attack: +3 to hit, reach 5ft. If it hits, the target is now grappled. The Mermaid can then use it’s movement (halved) to drag the victim underwater Suffocating A creature can hold its breath for a number of minutes equal to 1 + its Constitution modifier (minimum of 30 seconds). When a creature runs out of breath or is choking, it can survive for a number of rounds equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 round). At the start of its next turn, it drops to 0 hit points and is dying, and it can’t regain hit points or be stabilized until it can breathe again. For example, a creature with a Constitution of 14 can hold its breath for 3 minutes. If it starts suffocating, it has 2 rounds to reach air before it drops to 0 hit points.
122 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU despite the gaping hole exposed to the open air behind you. This is Alexandros’ flagship, an ancient manowar of exquisite design. It has been suspended in time, preserved by Czerina’s own hate-filled memory of the destruction of Alexandros’ fleet. The psychic echoes of the soldiers last, terrified moments still linger, as do other clues to the past. Below is a list of checks characters can make, as well as Hauntings, brief events that should be sprinkled in as they search the ship. Checks: • DC 15 History Check: The archaic design of the ship, as well as the armor and weapons, date back over a thousand years ago. This ship is impossibly preserved and should have rotted away long ago. • DC 20 History Check: This is The Sun’s Wrath, the lost flagship of Tsar Alexandros I of Nostrovishte. It disappeared, along with a massive war fleet, and has never been found. This mysterious disappearance led to the rapid collapse of the empire and over the centuries, it has almost passed from memory. • DC 13 Investigation Check: It’s clear that these soldiers survived the shipwreck and had begun to rally when they were met by some terrible foe. A barricade was established and manned by these, no doubt, experienced soldiers, and yet their resistance was shattered by some unnatural force. • DC 14 Medicine Check: Due to the incredibly well preserved conditions of these corpses, it’s clear that they died very unnatural deaths. There is evidence of their armor crumpling in upon them and crushing their bodies, evidence of massive splinters and pieces of shrapnel having erupted into them from the floor beneath their feet, evidence of them being torn limb from limb, and if you’re not mistaken, all in ways that were specifically intended to prolong their deaths. • DC 12 Arcana Check: You see evidence of advanced spell use, though all tied to the elements. Was this the work of some enraged Archdruid? • DC 15 Arcana Check: The magic preserving the ship and everything inside it touches upon the threads of time itself, though the temporal mechanics are beyond you and would require years to study. • DC 10 Religion Check: These soldiers bear markings of protection upon their armor tied to the worship of Lathander. • DC 10 Survival Check: There is no sign of animal life inside the ship, and it’s clear even wind and rain seem to have entirely avoided the bowels of the wreck when they clearly should not have. This area should have been washed clean, if not just been rotted and scavenged clean, and yet everything is untouched. Hauntings Hauntings are minor events, evidence of the psychic echoes left by the deaths of these soldiers. Use as many or as few as you’d like, or feel free to invent your own. They’re meant to both communicate more of the narrative, as well as add unease while the party explores. Temperature Drop: This haunting is felt by everyone. You feel a cool wind gust across your back and your breath fogs the air before your face. As you look around, a thin film of frost begins to creep across the deck, old blood crystalizing before your eyes. The timbers of the deck are now slick with ice. Sir, Yes, Sir: Have your players roll a d20. The voice of whoever rolls lowest becomes the voice all the other (and only the other) adventurers hear: Suddenly, you hear your companion bellow out, “She’s almost upon us! Get ready, damn
123 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU you!”, followed by the pounding of boots running across the deck. Whispered Prayers: The voice of the most religious character becomes the voice all the other (and only the other) adventurers hear. That character’s god is the god mentioned in the Haunting. The sound of whimpering and muttered prayers reaches your ears, your companion fervently beseeching ____ for courage in the face of evil and protection should their strength falter. For your families: This haunting is heard by everyone. It mentions the loved ones (alive or dead) of the characters’ by name. A stern voice echoes through the air. “Stand fast. Stand firm! If you fail, what fate will await ____? What manner of hell will await _____, or _____? Their fates are in your hands! Let that be your strength!” A4: Behind this door lies another massive break in the ship, open to sky and sea. The wind softly howls past the opening in the hold, yet you cannot feel it upon your skin. You feel... suspended in this place. To your right lies several crates, still lashed down and fastened closed. To your left lies another door. The door opens into a small room that is strangely appointed. A tattered purple rug depicting the holy symbol of Lathander stretches out across the floor, and various tapestries and iconography relating to the Sun God decorate the walls. Votive candles lay, half melted upon iron candlesticks bolted to the walls. This is a shrine, you realize, and to the left of the doorway lies a horribly disfigured corpse in clerical vestments curled protectively around something. Directly in front of the door sits a massive, ornate chest, shattered and cracked apart. This room was once a shrine that carried holy battle relics for the clerics and chaplains of Nostrovishte’s military. The chest once protected Lathandrian relics, though is now empty. However, around the neck of the corpse is an ornate symbol of Lathander worth 1000 gp, and clutched in one desiccated hand is a pamphlet. The pamphlet itself can be found on the right. DC 10 Religion Check: This screed was clearly politically motivated. The Lathandrian dogma does support combating evil, though the vilification of Druidry is quite anathema to their actual beliefs. As a sun god, Lathander is tied to nature and its cycles, though there are many among his followers that prefer to view his connection to nature more metaphorically than anything else. Haunting: Crisis of Faith: This applies to any religious character. As you stare upon this fallen servant of Lathander, you feel the world shift beneath your feet and your bones grow cold. That essence that’s lived inside you, that spark of divine inspiration, has gone out. Your god has finally looked upon you and has found you wanting. They have turned their back upon you entirely. You might as well not even exist in their eyes. This feeling ends as soon as they step out of the room and they recognize the feeling was just a phantom and nothing more. A5: Across the water, you see the stern of the ancient warship, and in the faint light that filters through the storm clouds you see the glittering of gold. As you approach
124 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU the wreckage of the stern, you see that the bowsprit of another wreck hangs over the weatherdeck, easily in reach for any with rope and the best way to continue the journey towards the safety of the shore. But first, you must climb inside before you can find your way up. Inside the wreckage of the stern you find yourself staring at a vision of faded opulence and glory. A frayed and tattered rug of royal purple and golden stretches across the room. Several collapsed bookshelves spill the remnants of ancient tomes across the deck and three massive, ornate chests are smashed open at the far wall. A decrepit bed, end table, and vanity, all once of magnificently ornate make, rest against the north side of the room, and to the south lies the source of that golden shine: a monstrously large dining table plated in gold and still set with plates, bowls, and other crockery of the finest porcelain embedded with cut gems, polished silver, and gold. Lastly, in the middle of the room lies an opulent and mostly intact desk with several documents still upon it. Here is what the characters can find as they search the following areas: The Bookshelves: A DC 10 Investigation Check will reveal that there are a few arcane tomes still intact. They contain the following spells: • Cantrips: True Strike, Prestidigitation, Gust, Light, Friends • 1st Level: Absorb Elements, Illusory Script, Detect Magic, Magic Missile, Identify, Unseen Servant • 2nd Level: Enthrall, Hold Person, Suggestion, Tasha’s Mind Whip • 3rd Level: Nondetection The Broken Chests: 1000 GP?!?! Well, good luck actually selling it. As soon as the Inquisition heard about that symbol they would launch a small crusade just to retrieve it, and woe betide whoever possessed it. Of course, handing it over to the Inquisition purposefully might earn some good will, though that will only go so far. The Proclamation of Holy War For too long the good people of Nostrovishte have been forced to abide the demonic spawn that preceded our blessed Tsar! Such was the foul product of a curse wrought against his noble mother, the Tsarina Evengja I, she who helped save this land. From an early age, that malignant wretch that claims to be a sister to our august Tsar demanded to be known by a cursed name and conspired to fulfill their terrible lust for blood! Her whipping girl was slain by her own hand, and all while she crowed that blasphemous name from behind her wicked teeth: Czerina! Czerina! A foul mockery of the most elevated position of womanhood within our grand society, a perversion that calls upon one of the great Demons themselves! Were that not damning enough, it has been recorded that she lusted after the pursuits of man, demanding of her father to be trained in the arts of war, arts she used to commit murder after murder, disguised as a fell spirit along our highways, spreading terror through every village she passed through! And what was the noble father to do, the late Gavran I? His paternal love clouded his judgement, the Forces of Darkness striking at the heart of his mercy and compassion for his own daughter. Though, surely, as the product of such a heinous curse, no doubt designed by the covetous enemies that Gavran himself later destroyed as they ravaged our homeland, that demonspawn cannot be considered his own! Yet, this tale of horror goes on! When our proud peoples were invaded by those devils calling themselves our neighbors, that most vile and insidious thing rampaged through the countryside, leading a pack of heathen demon worshippers at her beck and call! You know of them, those that skulk in the shadows of the woods, mixing noxious potions, and tempting the weak into becoming victims in horrible sacrifices! That monster, Czerina, allied herself with them, and when order was finally restored, sailed off to found a kingdom of such horror and depravity! For the glory of Lathander, for the safety of your families, this evil must be stamped out! Hierarch Pyrune Bazalovich III
125 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU A DC 10 Investigation Check will reveal: • Stored in the bottom of one chest, hidden shattered planks of wood, is a Cloak of Many Fashions wrapped around a Clockwork Amulet. The Bedroom: Almost all of this finery has been destroyed. A few scraps of luxurious fur or silk might be salvageable, though you doubt even that much might be usable, and even if it was, would you want to? It is while searching the vanity, however, that you spot something that sends a chill down your spine. Looking back at you is not your own reflection, but that of an imperious woman with blazing red eyes. Her gaze fixes upon you with an almost physical intensity, then a look of confusion passes across her features and she is gone, leaving you staring back at your own reflection. The image in the mirror is Czerina, of course, or merely a projection of her dreaming mind. The Dining Room: Greedy adventurers might try to loot the incredibly valuable crockery, or even pry the gold off of the table, though the second they touch anything on the table, an object from across the room will fly past them, missing them by only centimeters. A book, a piece of wood, a fragment of metal, there are hundreds of suitable objects in the room, all waiting to become projectiles at a moment’s notice. Should the adventurer continue to try to loot the table, then everyone in the room will be forced to make DC 14 Dexterity Saves or they will take 4 (1d4 + 2) bludgeoning damage. This check repeats for each person, once per round, until the finery is put back or the characters leave the room. The Desk: Upon this magnificent desk the adventurers will find several documents, the parchment as fine as the day it was made, the ink looking to be barely dried. The most important document can be found on the next page: A DC 10 investigation roll will reveal a Ring of Protection hidden in the bottom drawer, along with various ink and parchment of a quality for spell books and scrolls. Leaving Section A The players are able to freely navigate to section B without the need for any checks. There’s plenty of rope nearby, not to mention their own supplies, and with enough time they can climb aboard the bowsprit of the ship and move onto the weatherdeck. However, once they reach the weatherdeck of Section B, this triggers a special event: Event: The Chains of the Inquisition As you scramble from the bowsprit to the weatherdeck you’re afforded a clear view of the shore, elevated above most of the other wrecks. And, in the distance, you can see something on the beach: a lone campfire shining upon the hull of one of the launches! It’s hard to tell from this distance, but you think you see the figures of the other passengers, as well as some of the crew in the light of the fire. Somehow, they must have been able to safely navigate to the shore! Before you can signal them, however, you see something else, a blaze moving through the woods. As you watch, the moving line of fire resolves into a dozen armored figures carrying torches, the symbol of a flaming sun visible upon their tabards even from this distance. They fall upon the survivors on the beach with the ferocity of wolves, corralling and beating them into submission before carrying them all off in chains. Perhaps you were lucky not to be the first to make it ashore. The adventurers are hundreds of feet away from the beach, much too far out of range to do anything to help, and it’s clear that there’s
126 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU no way they could reach the shore in time to save the other passengers and sailors. The best they can do is continue to make their way as safely across the wrecks as they can, and that likely means finding a safe place to rest. Section B: Inspiration’s Gift This next section continues to build the narrative and the tension that began in Section A. However, instead of delving deeper into the history of Czerina and Alexandros, it jumps forward in time to just before Isidora joined Czerina’s court. The Blood Queen drove the ship into The Wrecks to stop Isidora from leaving the island, perhaps foreshadowing her intentions for the adventurers themselves. As for Isidora, she was forced to abandon many of her paintings and sculptures to languish among The Wrecks for centuries, and they have since absorbed much of the mystical corruption of the land and begun to take on a will of their own. This will present a strange and unnerving encounter for the adventurers that will perhaps force some of their secrets to light, as well as reveal more secrets about the land. Lastly, the adventurers will also discover the journal of an artifact delver that braved The Wrecks long ago, the delver’s notes informing them of a great treasure waiting for them in Section C, as well as warn them about the dangers that await them in Section D. B1: Your imperial majesty, Tsar Alexandros I As your foremost council, I wish to extend to you my heartfelt prayers and wishes that your conquest proceeds as magnificently as it should. Though we are always wise to listen to the clergy, as you know, I am a student of the law, and so it is with the law that I turn in order to praise the justification for those lands held by your sister. Primarily, under Nostrovishten Law, as your sister is of the female sex, she cannot inherit lands or titles. She has no authority or jurisdiction that is not granted by you. Furthermore, by declaring herself the ruler of a sovereign state, while still being one of your subjects, she has effectively committed treason. No matter that she won those lands or helped found the cities. As your subject, all her works belong to you. Lastly, even if the previous arguments, immutable in the law though they may be, were to be discarded, it is fully within your rights to declare war upon any kingdom that you wish, for the glory of our empire, and so the gods of justice and order surely smile upon you. Sincerely, Chief Councilor,Lucien Andemicus Andropov Cloak of Many Fashions Wondrous item, minor tier, common While wearing this cloak, you can use a bonus action Stat Block Heading —to change the style, color, and apparent quality of the garment. The cloak’s weight doesn’t change. Regardless of its appearance, the cloak can’t be anything but a cloak. Although it can duplicate the appearance of other magic cloaks, it doesn’t gain their magical properties. Source: XGE, page 136 Clockwork Amulet This copper amulet contains tiny interlocking gears and is Wondrous item, minor tier, common —powered by magic from Mechanus, a plane of clockwork predictability. A creature that puts an ear to the amulet can hear faint ticking and whirring noises coming from within. When you make an attack roll while wearing the amulet, you can forgo rolling the d20 to get a 10 on the die. Once used, this property can’t be used again until the next dawn. Source: XGE, page 137 Ring of Protection Wondrous item, minor tier, common —Ring, major tier, rare (requires attunement) You gain a +1 bonus to AC and saving throws while wearing this ring. Source: DMG, page 191
127 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU There’s nothing to find on the weatherdeck aside from more rope, barrels of fetid rainwater, and moldering sail canvas. There is a hatch open on the bow, however, that leads into the hold of the ship. This is the only way inside, as all the other hatches and doors have swollen shut long ago and are immovable. And, due to the construction of the ship, even though it’s been cleaved in two there are a series of bulkheads that seal this half of the ship closed. This is important, because with only one way inside, that makes this half of the ship the most defensible place for the storm-wracked adventurers to shelter and rest. So, there’s a good reason for them to explore the hold of this part of the ship, and the only way down leads into B1. However, before they descend, allow a DC 14 History Check to reveal that this ship, while still ancient, is much younger than the previous ship. It only dates back several centuries rather than an entire millenia. What’s more, it’s clear that this was a simple passenger ship rather than a warship. When the adventurers do decide to descend, read the following: After having scoured the weatherdeck for supplies and any sign of shelter, you realize that the only way inside lies through a hatch on the bow. This is a good sign, this means the interior of the ship might be defensible, and if you’re lucky, safe enough to get some rest. The hatch opens up into a small storage room filled with crates still strapped to the walls, along with a storage locker that looks as though it might have broken open when the ship crashed. A single door leads out of the storage room. Inside the storage locker the players will find: 2 healing potions along with 4 Healer’s Kits. . The crates contain various artisan’s tools: paints, paint brushes, hammers and chisels, turpentine, canvases, easels, frames, chunks of marble, and other assorted art supplies. Miraculously, all of the supplies appear to be in good order and should be able to be used. B2: Stepping out of the storage room you find yourself striding into what appears to be, of all things, a painter’s studio. A magnificently plush, circular rug sits beneath a well crafted chair of dark wood, an empty easel, an elvish lamp, and a wooden table for holding palettes, brushes, and other tools, and a door across from you leads out of the studio. What truly catches your eye, however, is the fact that there are six absolute masterpieces of various sizes and subject matter set up around the room, each held in an elegant gilded frame. Each would no doubt be worth a fortune and only hang in the halls of the wealthiest nobles, merchants, or institutions. Beginning to the left of the door you came from and proceeding clockwise around the room, the paintings depict the following: • Painting 1: A dozen well equipped soldiers cautiously advance across a bridge, an entire army at their back. A lone figure opposes them: a tall woman with a mane of raven black hair billowing in the wind. Her armor is dented and bloody, yet she stands firm, a greatsword in her hands. • Painting 2: Two young girls having a picnic in an idyllic garden, a pink dragonwood tree sheltering them in its shade as they chat and giggle. • Painting 3: A paladin with beautiful locks of golden hair lays slain upon the ground, a sword plunged into his back. A woman stands behind him, wearing the same armor, yet her eyes are red and long fangs Potion of Healing You regain 2d4 + 2 hit points when you drink this potion. The potion’s red liquid glimmers when agitated. DMG p187 Wondrous item, minor tier, common 50 gp, ½ lb —Source: DMG, page 191
128 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU are visible in her beaming smile. An angel flees in the background. • Painting 4: A druidic ritual in a Nemeton, naked figures dancing and singing beneath a sky filled with a vision of the galaxy itself. • Painting 5: An elven man with grey threading its way into his hair and beard kneels upon a battlefield littered with slaughtered men. A bloodied sword lies before his knees as he raises his fists to the sky, shouting what must surely be a challenge to the gods themselves, his expression one of profound rage and grief. • Painting 6: A landscape of a magnificent city carved into the very face of a mountain itself.] Players that have seen Czerina in the ocean or in the mirror recognize her in the first and fourth painting. All players also recognize the heraldry of the soldiers in the fifth painting as matching the Nostrovishten soldiers from Section A3. Unknown to the players, the second painting depicts Czerina and Teadora (see App 1), the third depicts Lady Ysemgrin, the fifth is Beleroth, and the sixth is Barrukhirrim from before it was destroyed. Players may make a DC 17 History check to identify heraldry of soldiers on the bridge. They are from Bacia, an ancient enemy of Nostrovishte. If players spend any time studying the paintings they trigger the following special event: Sentient Paint In this event, the paintings begin to change, displaying moments from the player character’s backstories, as well as visual lies devised to sow dissent among the party. This event occurs in 3 stages, read the instructions before reading the descriptive text below. Stage 1: First, the paintings will display true moments from the adventurers’ lives. This is true for each adventurer studying the paintings. As you study the painting closely you realize that something is amiss. The utterly sublime use of color and entrancing texture of the painting is beginning to change and
129 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU before your eyes the entire scene begins to shift, reflecting a moment from your past for all to see. Ask each player to describe one of the happiest moments of their character’s life. That is what the painting shows. Stage 2: Next, the paintings will show a secret from a player’s backstory. Ideally these are secrets the players have already planned with you, though it doesn’t hurt to do a quick poll before the session starts. Pull the player aside and get the details of the secret so you can describe it in detail. This works best if you select only one or two players to do this to. Once more, the paintings shift, displaying a scene from ___’s past. Displayed in vivid color and masterful shading and depth is a scene of ____. Stage 3: Finally, it will show a visual lie about an adventurer, showing them doing something monstrous. Do this to only one adventurer, preferably one who has not had any of their history displayed already. As you discuss what you’ve witnessed already, all 6 paintings shift one final time, all displaying different scenes from the history of the same person: _____. The first painting depicts a simple theft from the alms cup of a sleeping beggar. The second painting depicts them stalking a lone figure at night. The third depicts them enjoying nice cuts of meat from a human leg that’s been placed on a butcher’s block. The fourth depicts them kneeling in a circle of candles, beseeching a terrible demon made of shadow itself. The fifth depicts them dumping something into a well of a small village, and the sixth shows them pilfering coin from the pockets of the poisoned villagers. The paintings, themselves, wish to do what all art is meant to do: provoke strong thought and emotion. The first two stages were designed to build trust in the paintings’ ability to display the truth, even if hidden, whereas the third stage is just a lie the paintings hope the characters believe. This will provoke many strong emotions that the paintings can feed off of, psychic vampire style. If, at any point, an adventurer tries to destroy a painting, the paint itself will flee from the canvas in a mass of writhing color and oil, disappearing into any nook or cranny that it can. If an adventurer uses fire and is very persistent, then the paint will burn, and a horrible scream as if echoed from a thousand mouths will fill the room for several moments. B3: As you step out of the painter’s studio you find yourself facing a long hallway filled with statues. A door to the left leads to a separate room, and an opulent rug runs the length of the hallway, resting snugly beneath the heavy bases of each sculpture or statue. The workmanship of the sculptures is exquisite, stone and brass appearing to be as soft as flesh, as light as cloth caught in a breeze, and as expressive as life itself. They depict various subjects, from warriors, to saints, to more abstract designs. What truly catches your eye, however, is a statue that looks as though it doesn’t belong, a statue of what appears to be an adventurer: it depicts a man with a beret, loaded down with a heavy pack with a shovel, crowbar, and rope dangling from the sides. He’s bending down as though examining something, a look of concern upon his face. To build unease and mess with your players, ask them for Perception checks. No matter how high they roll, simply tell them: “You don’t happen to notice anything”. (Unease) Secondly, the next time they step foot in the hallway, ask them for Investigation Checks. Whoever gets the highest result notices that two of the statues have switched places. It doesn’t matter which statues.
130 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU B4: You step into a well appointed room with another extravagant rug and other lavish furnishings. To your left is a potted plant, somehow still alive, sitting beside a chaise lounge with an elvish lamp on the other side. A bed lies against the left wall, with a chest sitting at its foot. To the right of the chest sits an ornate desk with several books sitting atop it. A slender, leather bound volume lies open upon the desk, a quill still wet with ink lying across the pages. Next to the desk is a broken statue of what appears to be a mercenary, a bearded man in battered armor, though it’s unclear what force caused the statue to tip over and break upon the deck. Two more bookshelves lie further into the room, along with what appears to be a small workstation. This was Isidora’s personal cabin. Inside the chest the adventurers will find Heward’s Handy Spice Pouch, several elaborate female noble outfits (worth 15 gp each), including one set of Clothes of Mending, a Cleansing Stone, and an Orb of Time. Upon the desk they will find Isidora’s journal, which has been co-opted by the artifact delver Sorbo Kallestru. The entries are listed below in a backwards order as the most recent entry was that of Sorbo. As you might have guessed, Sorbo and Brontislav ran into a spot of trouble. By desecrating Isidora’s journal, they were both struck by a curse and turned to stone. Such a curse is spent and done, though the party might decide that it’s not safe to find out. The ship is haunted, after all, even if by something besides ghosts. Section C: The Floating Temple In order to move to shore, the adventurers must cross section C, the fabled Floating Temple, though whether or not they delve inside the floating temple to uncover the treasure within is up to them. After all, inside the Floating Temple is the ghost of Czerina’s brother, Tsar Alexandros I himself, or at least a psychic echo from before his death, and that is what guards the two legendary items of power. If the adventurers decide not to combat the ghost, however, and move directly to Section D, they will have an opportunity to recover the items in the Catacombs in Leshehoff (see next Chapter), though it’s best to get them now. Besides, if they move on without meeting the ghost they’ll miss an important glimpse of the past that might just help them in their battles ahead. The adventurers navigate to Section C along the main mast of Inspiration’s Gift, and then across the bowsprit of that unnamed wreck to the stern of the Floating Temple. The stern of Inspiration’s Gift sank long ago, though from a distance it might look as though Inspiration’s Gift and the Floating Temple are two parts of one ship. It’s simply one of the many illusions of The Wrecks. Regardless, the weatherdeck of the Floating Temple has nothing to offer besides more rope and weathered wood.
131 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU THE JOURNAL 8.17.2583 Aboard Inspiration’s Gift I found this diary among the lady’s things. Who would have thought an artist of her caliber was so horribly banal as to keep a diary? I, at least, have reason for a record such as this, though as it happens my previous journal was ruined by an unplanned dip into the sea. A danger of this profession, to be sure, though I’ve faced much worse and always come out on top! Of course, I likely shouldn’t have used the wax paper from my sausages to wrap my journal in. Seems there was a small tear and the water got through and soaked it right to the bone! Not that journals have bones, of course, but regardless, I was hired by the previous owner of this ship, the Princess Isidora herself. Apparently, she’s been trying for a few centuries to have her precious works of art recovered, though none have managed to make it past the Drowned Dead by the shore. That is, until Sorbo Kallestru came along! Hahaha! Slipping past them was like the play of children and retrieving a few paintings will be no trouble for one such as I, although I’ll need to hire more toughs to help me with those damnable statues! All I’ve got with me now is that brute, Brontislav, and though he’s strong as an ox, and bearded like one, too, he won’t be enough. Besides, I hired him as a bodyguard, not just simple muscle, although judging by the state of his armor he’s probably better suited to lifting things than fighting anyways. Though, he did get half his coin up front, so perhaps I’ll forget the paintings until I return and dig up another prize, one worthy far more than Isidora’s pitiful bounty. You see, in the ship near here lies the remains of an ancient, floating temple, or a ship turned into a temple, that is, and a grand treasure lies inside. Why, I could retire if I wished, with a treasure that magnificent, and then I wouldn’t need to worry about silly statues or paintings ever again! In fact, they’ll tell such stories about me once I return with the fabled Sword of Slaughter and the Shield of the Dead! (The entry abruptly ends.)
132 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU 3.23.2003 We’ve crashed! The wind howled like I’d never heard before, and the ship was tossed about every which way. I thought, surely, I’d die of fright before we were dashed to pieces against the rocks, but here I write. I still can’t believe that we’ve survived, and as a blessing from Lady Firehair herself, it seems my works are also relatively untouched. I’ll be certain to offer more prayers to her, although the captain has said it’s not safe to stay and we must depart post haste. What’s more, without a proper dock and a hoist there’s no chance of recovering my works for now, which means I’ll have to abandon them. I’ll at least get the sailors to help me set them upright before we go, and may Sune watch over them. Surely, my heart will break leaving them behind, though I know I’m truly lucky just to be alive. I can’t bear to brave another voyage such as this, and so it seems this land is meant to be my home forevermore. I just hope that my dear heart might take me back. She had such a fury in her eyes when I’d told I was set to leave, and I haven’t seen or heard from her since. -Isidora 3.22.2003 I’m dreadfully sorry to leave this land, but as I told my love, the world deserves to learn of her and her people, and what better vehicle is there than my art? I’m sure this is the right thing to do. I can tell how she suffers so. It must be a terrible burden to have survived such horrors for the sake of her people, only to be forgotten and abandoned by the world itself. But I’ll put things to right, and once I do, perhaps then I can return and convince her to travel with me. The world is so vast, and I’m sure she’d agree to go with me if she could. So I’m determined. We set sail soon, though, if I’m truthful, I don’t know if my heart can bear to watch us depart. To see the land is to think of her, and alas, I’m afraid I have not the bravery to face such. -Isidora 2.15.2003 She confessed to me, today, that she wanted me to stay. That no matter how talented I might be, I was the work of art she admired most, in mind and soul, and she’d give anything to keep me. I was shocked that a woman such as she would feel this about someone like me. For the longest time I’ve felt that my art was all that I had to offer, though, when I’m around her… Well, I shan’t speak of it, though I will say that I’m afraid. If I stay I’m not sure what I’ll become. Perhaps it would be better if I go. -Isidora
133 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU Aside from entering through the gaping hole in the front, the most likely means of entry is through a stairway that leads to C1. C1: Descending into the bowels of the ship is like stepping into caged winter. The walls and floors are coated in a thin layer of ice, as are the creates, sacks, and piles of rope that are stored here. Flanking the stairway that you came down are two doors, elaborately carved and inlaid with shining brass. They look like something that belongs upon a temple, rather than in the bowels of a wrecked ship. The crates and sacks are filled with ancient cleaning supplies, incense, coal, lamp oil, candles, prayer books, and other small religious offerings of the Lathandrian religion, all of which have been miraculously preserved, if coated in a thin film of frost. A DC 14 Religion Check will reveal that this ship is actually a portable temple. The shrine aboard The Sun’s Wrath was simply for use aboard that specific ship, whereas this temple is meant to serve as the religious center of the fleet, as well as carry the most sacred artifacts upon it with all due reverence. It also suggests something of a religious mission. The ship was likely meant to be deconstructed and rebuilt as the primary temple of a newly conquered land. A DC 14 Perception Check will reveal the sounds of someone furiously ranting behind the doors that lead into C2, although the words cannot be made out. C2: As you step through the ornate doors of the temple and step inside you feel a gust of chill wind wash over you. The source of the cold is clearly inside this room. The extravagant walls and the floor are covered in a thicker layer of ice, making your footing treacherous as you move inside. To make matters worse, there are jagged holes blasted all the way through the deck and outer hull, dropping at least 15 feet into the waters below. Immediately next to the doors sits the holy dais itself, the everburning brazier that represented Lathander’s light having long since been extinguished, home now to nothing more than frost covered ashes. Two, smaller dais lay to either side of the room, one bearing a sword, the other a shield. Twin statues of Lathandrian saints lay past the sword and shield, and finally two massive golden pillars depicting more religious iconography are all Heward’s Handy Spice Pouch This belt pouch appears empty and has 10 charges. While Wondrous item, minor tier, common —holding the pouch, you can use an action to expend 1 of its charges, speak the name of any nonmagical tea or food seasoning (such as salt, pepper, saffron, or cilantro), and remove a pinch of the desired seasoning from the pouch. A pinch is enough to season a single meal. The pouch regains 1d6 + 4 expended charges daily at dawn. Source: XGE, page 137 Clothes of Mending This elegant outfit of traveler’s clothes magically mends Wondrous item, minor tier, common —itself to counteract daily wear and tear. Pieces of the outfit that are destroyed can’t be repaired in this way. Source: XGE p137 Cleansing Stone Wondrous item, common A cleansing stone is a sphere 6 inches in diameter, engraved —with mystic sigils. When touching the stone, you can use an action to activate it and remove dirt and grime from your garments and your person. Source: ERLW p276 Orb of Time Wondrous item, minor tier, common —3 lb. While holding this orb, you can use an action to determine whether it is morning, afternoon, evening, or nighttime outside. This property functions only on the Material Plane. Source: XGE, page 13
134 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU that’s left of the temple, the rest has broken away to disappear into the sea below. Despite the success of their perception check from earlier, they find that there is no one in the room. That is, until they approach either the Sword or the Shield (see Scaling Legendary Relics in Chapter 1 for more details). That is when the ghostly apparition of Tsar Alexandros I appears. As you approach the relics of legend, a chill wind gusts through the room, and you see a man stride into view from absolutely nowhere before. He bears upon his head a regal crown, and is dressed in elaborate armor layered over cloth of gold. “It is mine by right!” he bellows, thrusting an accusing finger towards the central dais. “It is mine! I took this crown because it was mine and I will take your lands for the same reason! How dare you think to stand up to me, you vile wretch! Demon’s spawn! If only our parents had had the courage to kill you while you were young, but now it falls to me to put this wrong to right! To wipe the stain from our family’s honor forevermore! You’ll become nothing, not even a footnote in the history of my reign!” He draws a ghostly replica of the sword and shield, then freezes, and disappears. All is quiet for some moments, and then he appears just as before, repeating his tirade word for word before striding towards the sword once more.
135 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU This ghost is nothing more than a psychic echo. A very powerful echo, but an echo nonetheless. It is far from sentient, more of a necromantic construct than anything else, and it will do nothing but repeat unless one of the adventurers picks up the sword or shield. At that point, the ghost flies into a rage and attacks with its own ghostly versions of the weapons as it recreates Alexandros’ final moments of life as he battled his sister to the death. Running the Combat Alexandros cannot go more than 10 ft outside of his lair. As such, it is possible for adventurers to grab the legendary relic and run, though the Treacherous Footing and the holes in the floor will make this more challenging. Furthermore, Alexandros will try to kill any creature holding one of the legendary relics or any creature that attacks him. However, if it is advantageous to shove a creature NOT holding a legendary relic out of the room (such as through the holes in the floor), then he will. Note that the sea is only 15 ft below the holes in the floor, meaning that a well placed rope would allow an adventurer to climb back into the room, as climb speed is half of normal. And, if you believe that this encounter is not suitably difficult as it is, add a few mermaids in the waters below. Section D: The Drowned Dead This final section of The Wrecks is perhaps the most deadly, even moreso than the desperate fight against Alexandros’ specter. In order to escape, the adventurers will have to navigate the debris strewn, treacherous decks of a ship as a horde of undead monsters hunts them down. The adventurers will have to carefully strategize in order to make it to safety. It is recommended that you remind players to try preplanning their routes due to the difficult terrain. Calculating movement ahead of their turns will save time for everyone. Running the Encounter: The adventurers begin the encounter at D1 and should roll initiative. Note that this is an elevated position with choke points. If a character wishes to leap down from their elevated position ask them to make a DC 10 Acrobatics Check or fall prone upon landing. If a character drops 20 feet and fails this check, they also take 1d6 falling damage. Tsar Alexandros I —Medium Undead, Chaotic Evil Armor Class 12 (natural armor) Hit Points 50 (5d8+28) Speed 0 ft., fly 50 ft. (hover) STR DEX CON — INT WIS CHA —1 (-5) 16 (+3) 11 (+0) 11 (+0) 11 (+0) 10 (+0) Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities necrotic, poison Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages understands all languages it knew in life but can’t speak Challenge — 2 (450 XP) Incorporeal Movement. The specter can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object. Actions Life Drain. Melee Spell Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the creature finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. Legendary Actions: Alexandros can take 2 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Alexandros regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn. Shove (1 action). Alexandros can shove one creature within melee range. The creature must succeed a DC 12 Strength save or be pushed 10 ft in a direction of Alexandros’ choice. This does not allow Alexandros to make an opportunity attack on the pushed target. Move (1 action). Alexandros can move up to 30 ft. Attack (1 action). Alexandros can make a Life Drain attack against a target he has not already struck during this round of combat. Lair Effects: Treacherous Footing: Alexandros’ ghostly form secretes a powerful chill that coats his lair in ice. Any creature that attempts to move more than 10ft must succeed a DC 10 Acrobatics check or slide 10 feet in a random direction. Roll a d4 for the direction: 1, north; 2, south; 3, east; or 4, west. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks, and if the direction rolled is blocked, the target doesn’t move.
136 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU Also note that crates, wooden debris, sacks, and rope all count as difficult terrain. This is very important, as it will not stop players movement but will slow them down and they will have to plan for this while evading the Drowned Dead. By the same token, the difficult terrain works both ways, so the adventurers can use it to their advantage if they plan their tactics well. . As for the Drowned Dead themselves, they are undead monstrosities comprised of all the sailors that have been shipwrecked and drowned in the waters around Wreythau. They are filled with noxious, tainted seawater that they vomit onto their victims or explode onto their victims when they are slain. This makes destroying Drowned Dead very dangerous for frontline characters, though not destroying them can be equally dangerous. As such, the players’ best hope for survival is to move fast towards the escape, as the Drowned Dead will not set foot upon dry land (perhaps allow DC 10 Religion or Arcana Check to reveal this fact to the characters). To begin, place one Drowned Dead near D1, and 3-4 Drowned Dead in the center of the ship. Then continue to spawn one or two Dread Dead towards the bow of the ship every turn and have them Dash towards the adventurers. And, if the adventurers are really struggling, delay the Drowned Dead spawning, or have them simply move more slowly across the ship. Your goal is
137 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU to make the encounter thrilling and dangerous, not impossible. Section E: Mermaids’ Lair This section is entirely optional, and arguably, the most challenging part of The Wrecks. There are 5 mermaids lounging in the shattered bow of The Sun’s Wrath, and they are, fittingly, sunning themselves in the glow of a magical artifact: a Driftglobe. The artifact was once fitted to the figurehead of the ship, functioning as both a powerful symbol as well as a signalling device, but in the millenia since it has become the mermaids’ most treasured possession. The light of the driftglobe reminds them of the sun, whose warmth they haven’t experienced for over a thousand years. Now, they just haul all of their catches into the broken bow of the ship to feast and bask together, enjoying the light and the memory of warmth. Therefore, if an adventurer or npc has been “drowned”, downed, or otherwise captured by the mermaids, this is where they will have taken their prey to be stored until their current food supply has run out. This could create a wonderful roleplaying encounter for a captured adventurer and a desperate rescue operation for the rest of the party. Speaking of which, here are brief descriptions of the five mermaids which can be found in the lair. (Note that more can be found outside the lair, though they are busy hunting throughout the rest of The Wrecks). • Kallianera: the eldest of the mermaids and the most pragmatic. • Polidora: the most curious and adventurous of the mermaids. • Nepephele: the most bloodthirsty of the mermaid. • Amphitros: the most restful of the mermaids. • Teledissee: the most greedy of the mermaids. Drowned Dead —Medium Undead, Chaotic Evil Armor Class 10 Hit Points 12 (2d8 + 4) Speed — 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA —14 (+2) 10 (+0) 18 (+4) 6 (-2) 8 (-1) 5 (-3) Skills: Athletics + 4 Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9 Languages understands all languages it spoke in life but can’t speak Challenge — 1/2 (50 XP) Actions Grapple. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: target is grappled. Vomit. A Drowned Dead can vomit on any creature it has, or that is grappled by another drowned dead. Note: A Drowned Dead cannot vomit on the same turn it starts a grapple (though other Drowned Dead could). Drowned Dead vomit deals 2d4 poison damage. Explosive Death. When reduced to 0 hit points, the Drowned Dead explodes in a shower of poisonous gore. Every creature within 5 ft. takes 2d4 poison damage.
138 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU Interacting with the Mermaids: The mermaids in the Lair have just eaten and aren’t keen on jumping in the water and fighting if they don’t have to. Remember, they are sentient creatures who have been corrupted by the Dark Power and warped into their most cruel selves. This means that, while they are ill-intentioned, they can be reasoned with. A DC 12 Insight check could be used to get a read on the mermaids and this information can be used to help their negotiation for the release of npcs or party members. Below are several suggested modifiers for this role playing encounter. • Having already killed a mermaid: Disadvantage on Persuasion, Advantage on Intimidate. Failure likely means combat. • Magic Items to barter with: Advantage on Persuasion checks. • Appealing to the nature of Teledissee, Polidora, or Kallianera: Advantage on Persuasion checks. • • • Appealing to the nature of Amphitros or Nephele: Disadvantage on Persuasion Checks. • Intimidation without having killed a mermaid: disadvantage. Driftglobe This small sphere of thick glass weighs 1 pound. If you are Wondrous item, minor tier, uncommon. 1 lb —within 60 feet of it, you can speak its command word and cause it to emanate the light or daylight spell. Once used, the daylight effect can’t be used again until the next dawn. You can speak another command word as an action to make the illuminated globe rise into the air and float no more than 5 feet off the ground. The globe hovers in this way until you or another creature grasps it. If you move more than 60 feet from the hovering globe, it follows you until it is within 60 feet of you. It takes the shortest route to do so. If prevented from moving, the globe sinks gently to the ground and becomes inactive, and its light winks out. Source: DMG, page 166
139 CH 1 WELCOME TO WREYTHAU If the adventurers try to negotiate for the Driftglobe itself (which is held in an ornate glass sculpture of the sun), it will be incredibly challenging unless the adventurers can offer up a large amount of food or something that is of equal value...which is almost impossible, and thus would require the use of clever trickery. Prestidigitation, Thaumaturgy, or other Enchantment and Illusion magic can be quite powerful when creatively used, after all. The mermaids cannot be intimidated into giving it up, however. They will fight to the death if threatened with the unwilling loss of the Driftglobe. Act 5: The Shore As you run across the shuddering timber of the broken mainmast you chance a look behind and see the Drowned Dead retreating back into The Wrecks. Something must be keeping them bound there, and as you splash down into the shallows and wade to the sandy beach of the shore, you finally have a chance to breathe. Fine grained black sand stretches out to either side of you for hundreds upon hundreds of feet before steep, rocky cliffs jut up towards the sky. Behind you is the sea, and a few hundred feet in front of you lies a thick forest of twisted trees. The lone launch that had already made it ashore lies upside down on the sand not far from you, a few embers still glowing faintly in the dark. Once the players have successfully escaped from Section D they will have finally reached the shore, and a measure of safety...if Wreythau can be called safe. Insert evil laughter here. The Player Characters will finally have a chance to rest (as in long rest), and will level to 3. This is a great chance for players to react to the events that they’ve experienced as well as make a plan for the future. What have they learned? Have their goals changed? Do they want to rescue those captured by those torch wielding fanatics with the sun emblems on their tabards? These are just some of the questions that could be discussed by the party in character (preferably) or out of character if need be. And, from here, the adventurers will be able to pick up a forest trail that will lead them towards Chapter 3, Leshehoff.
140 CH 3 LESHEHOFF Chapter Overview: Now that the adventurers have survived the voyage to Wreythau and braved the dangers of The Wrecks, they will find that the paths their future adventures take will be largely determined by their own decisions and actions. In other words, a variety of paths will be set before the player characters and they will have to decide which to pursue. That doesn’t mean, of course, that the adventurers can’t be nudged one way or another by NPCs or plot developments, but ultimately the choice of how to proceed is theirs. This chapter contains all the information you need about the next region that that adventure takes place in. You’ll learn what quests are available in this region as well as a sample overview of how these quests might play out at the end of the chapter. Again, because this is designed to give the players (and the DM) as much agency as possible, that means these quests might play out differently than in the quest overview, which is great. The overview at the end of the chapter is merely a suggestion meant to offer a sample trajectory rather than set down a pair of railroad tracks. So, feel free to use the overviews as a framework, but don’t feel pressured to adhere to them like gospel. Otherwise, this chapter will continue where Chapter 2 left off, with the adventuring party having just rested (and leveled up) on the beach. Spotting smoke on the horizon, and finding the trail of the other survivors, the party will venture into the deep forests of Wreythau. From there, they will reach a pivotal encounter that introduces them to the Beastfolk and from there on out, it is the party’s decisions that will decide how they proceed. If they decide to engage with the Beastfolk and learn more about them, they will meet a powerful ally, as well as learn more about the Dark Power lurking behind the scenes. Eventually, however, the adventurers must journey on to the barony of Leshehoff, a farming region caught in a power struggle with a fanatical religion bent on total domination of the people and the land. The adventurers will ahve to wade into this power struggle, navigating its dangers and, ultimately, tipping the balance one way or another. Unless the party are themselves fanatical zealots, this will mean taking a stand against the domineering Inquisition of the Morning Lord, though when they choose to take Chapter 3 Leshehoff
141 CH 3 LESHEHOFF a stand, and how they choose to take a stand, will be key decisions on their part. Hence why there is no singular path, but rather several that the adventurers could embark on as they explore this region. Continuing the Adventure: Once the party has finished resting on the beach, read the following: Slowly, a soft grey light begins to filter down through the heavy storm clouds that perpetually hang above, signalling the coming of the dawn. Wind gently stirs the branches of the trees closest to the black sand of the beach, but as you look towards the sky you see columns of smoke rising above the canopy. It must be civilization, and perhaps only a few days’ journey from here. A DC 13 Survival Check will reveal the tracks of the strange warparty that captured the other survivors. They’re heading in the same direction as the smoke, though there seems to be several game trails nearby if the party wishes to move in the same direction but on a separate course. Moving towards civilization is their best bet, and after the supernatural storm that shipwrecked them, travel by sea is hardly the best idea. So, overland travel through the forest is their best option, hands down. Which is wonderful, because this provides excellent opportunities to introduce a few encounters with the twisted wildlife of Wreythau, such as meeting the reincarnation of Gavran, the Carnivorous Horse or the Lamprey Rabbits (my personal favorite). These encounters (found in Chapter 1) can help illustrate the warped nature of this new land in addition to adding to the atmosphere of horror. However, once you’ve introduced a few of these encounters (or however many you wish), introduce the special event to the right. A Babe in the Woods Encounter Overview: This encounter will introduce the adventurers to the Beastfolk, and place before them a significant quandary: what to do with a lost babe found in the middle of the woods. Essentially, the story leading up to this event is that a Beastfolk parent and their young child traveled to one of the many sacred megaliths scattered throughout their territory in order to perform a ritual blessing for the child. Unfortunately, the parent was killed by one of the many predators in Wreythau, and so the child is left all alone. Poor babe! Thankfully, the other Beastfolk will realize something is wrong and send out a search party, though the adventurers will be the first to find the babe. This will present a conundrum to the adventurers, as well as introduce the Beastfolk and form their initial relationship with the Beastfolk community. Beginning the Encounter: To introduce this encounter, read the following: As you make your way through the wilderness you spot a pathway that seems better trod than a simple game trail, though not by much. As you follow the trail, thankful for how much easier it makes your passage through the woods, you come upon a small clearing filled with megalithic standing stones. Each stone is rough carved and monstrously heavy, and yet two simple archways have been built using the stones. The archways lead to a central ritual stone, as well as a trio of vertical standing stones that form a crown of sorts for this ancient ritual structure. As you near the archways, you see that a basket sits upon the center ritual stone. Allow the players to investigate as they will. They can learn the following: • A DC 14 Religion Check will reveal that these ritual stones are tied to the Old Faith, or Druidism, and are aligned to perhaps measure the seasons.
142 CH 3 LESHEHOFF Forest Trail Ritual Stones
143 CH 3 LESHEHOFF • A DC 15 History Check (stonecunning) will reveal that these stones were likely placed here well over a thousand years ago. They were cut by hand, but it’s clear that the rough craftsmanship is by design, rather than due to carelessness or lack of skill. • A DC 12 Investigation Check will reveal what happened to the parent. A trail of blood leads from inside a circle of mushrooms, the broken remains of a longbow and a few shattered arrows leading off into the foliage. The tracks of wolves of tremendous size are nearby. • A character fluent in Druidic will recognize that these stones are, in fact, tied to the seasons, but in this case is specifically tied to the descent into winter, which marks the start of the new year. As such, this holy place is perfect for blessings of reflection, abundance, and connection to those who have passed before. • A character fluent in Sylvan will recognize that these stones reference an Archfey known as Cailleach, or the Queen of Winter. These people pay homage to Cailleach, but also reference the other lords and ladies of the seasons. Any character that investigates the basket will peer inside to find: Peering inside the basket you find what at first appears to be a bundle of homespun blankets and animal furs, but then you realize that the bundle is moving, and soon a hand emerges from within, pulling the swaddling aside to reveal the face of a babe, though unlike any that you’ve ever seen before. It looks like the twisted combination of a human and an elk, and it coos up at you from its unnatural human-elk muzzle-mouth. • A Medicine check will reveal that the babe is healthy despite its disturbing appearance. • An Arcana check will reveal that the babe is likely suffering from a powerful curse of some kind. From here, the adventurers must decide what to do with the babe. Cautious adventurers might leave the babe behind, though if they interacted with it at all, the Beastfolk will pick up their scent and stalk them through the woods, curious as to find out why the babe was spared. This would be a party of 3 Beastfolk Warriors and 3 Beastfolk Scouts. The adventurers can make DC 15 Perception Checks to spot that they are being stalked, or you can have the Scouts roll against Passive Perception. If spotted and challenged, the Beastfolk will flee back into the woods unless they are challenged in Sylvan or Druidic. If that’s the case, the Beastfolk will cautiously approach and ask why they didn’t harm the baby. If satisfied that the adventurers are not hostile, they will invite the adventurers to accompany them back to Caeltos Village to share a meal and have a safe place to rest for the night. If the adventurers accept, proceed to Caeltos Village. On the other hand, compassionate adventurers might take the babe with them, which would of course result in the Beastfolk challenging the adventurers and demanding the babe back. This would be a party of 3 Beastfolk Warriors, 3 Beastfolk Scouts, and either a Beastfolk Juggernaut OR a Beastfolk Witch. The Witch makes for a significantly harder challenge in combat, yet the Witch is also one of the few Beastfolk that can speak a version of Common. This is important, as the goal of the Beastfolk is the safe return of the baby and clear communication would certainly make that much simpler. Based on your knowledge of the adventurers, use your best judgement on which to include, as being denied the return of the baby will result in the use of force. The Beastfolk will be sure not to endanger the child, but will otherwise consider the adventurers to be extremely hostile if they try to keep the babe. However, if the party agrees to return the child
144 CH 3 LESHEHOFF without the threat of violence, then the Beastfolk will invite them back to Caeltos Village as thanks for trying to save the child. If any violence or threat is given before the return of the babe, though, then the Beastfolk will not make this offer and instead the 3 Warriors and 3 Scouts will stalk the adventurers all the way to the border of Leshehoff’s farmland to ensure that the adventurers leave and don’t double back into the woods to cause problems for their village. If the adventurers decide that they do not wish to visit Caeltos Village, or do not receive an offer to visit it, then proceed to Leshehoff. Caeltos Village Overview: Caeltos Village is one of many Beastfolk settlements spread out throughout the wilds of Wreythau. It is one of the smaller villages, but it does see frequent use as a trading point because of its location between the coast and the Drowned Basin. Supported mainly by trade, as well as light agriculture and frequent hunting trips, the village is relatively prosperous despite it’s small size. Furthermore, because of the dangerous wilderness that surrounds the village and the close proximity to Leshehoff and the
145 CH 3 LESHEHOFF Inquisition, many of the inhabitants of the village are able warriors and the sturdy palisades and numerous pit traps make it difficult to assault. If the adventurers are escorted to the village by other Beastfolk then they will be received warmly, offered food and drink, and given a safe place to sleep inside one of the huts. If the adventurers have not been escorted to the village, the Beastfolk will demand they leave unless the adventurers happen to speak Sylvan or Druidic, at which point negotiations can begin. There are about 40 adult Beastfolk in the village, along with half as many children. C1: Entrance The village is ringed by sharpened, wooden palisades over 15ft tall. The wood has been stripped of bark and treated with oils to make it flame resistant and difficult to climb, and large pit traps have been dug in strategic locations. The entrance to the village has clearly been set up to create chokepoints to help defenders, but is otherwise open to the wilderness. Once inside, you can see two training areas have been set up near the entrance. The Beastfolk rely on guards to help keep the village safe. As there are plenty of dangerous creatures that walls and gates can’t keep out, they’ve simply come to accept that a constant armed patrol is the best defense, and as such there are always at least 6 Beastfolk Warriors and 6 Beastfolk Scouts on duty. Typically, 4 warriors and 4 scouts man the entrance while the others patrol the perimeter of the village. That said, up to 12 Warriors and 12 Scouts can be mustered from the village populace, along with Rhagnall, Seaghdh, (see next section) and 1 Beastfolk Witch. C2: Warrior’s House This wood and reed built hut overlooks the entrance to the village. Several weapons lean against the timbers of the door frame, alluding to its use as a guardhouse. The sounds of conversation and laughter spill out from inside, punctuated by the distinctive brays, growls, and other noises of Beastfolk speech. The ‘guardhouse’ is used to house the warriors, juggernauts, and scouts when they’re on duty, as well as serve any other militaryadjacent function that the village needs, such as weapon and armor storage or a staging ground of medical aid. The leader of the warriors of the village is a juggernaut named Rhagnall (Rog - nall), an experienced warleader, though one who’s getting a bit too grey to do it for much longer. A massive creature, Rhagnall’s form is that of an orc mixed with a great moose. One hand is simply a great hoof, whereas the other is used to heft a great spear that weighs almost 30 pounds on its own. Rhagnall Large humanoid, Neutral Good —Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 76 (9d10 + 27) Speed — 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA —18 (+4) 11 (+0) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) Skills Perception +7, Performance +5 Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 17 Languages Sylvan Challenge 3 (700 XP) Charge. If Rhagnall moves at least 10 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a gore attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 9 (2d8) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be pushed up to 10 feet away and knocked prone. Sentinel. Rhagnall can use a reaction to attack any creature that moves into, or inside of the reach of his spear. Reckless. At the start of its turn, Rhagnall can gain advantage on all melee weapon attack rolls it makes during that turn, but attack rolls against it have advantage until the start of its —next turn. Actions Great Spear. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d12 + 4) piercing damage. Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage.
146 CH 3 LESHEHOFF The ‘second-in-command’, if such a concept can be said to exist in Beastfolk society, is an archer named Seaghdh (See - odd) whose curse manifests by mixing the features of a spider with that of a half-elf. This allows Seaghdh to shoot twice as many arrows as any other Beastfolk archer. Both Rhagnall and Seaghdh are fearsome enemies if provoked, but are otherwise happy to live and let live. Rhagnall is the more talkative of the two and loves to listen to and tell stories over a roaring fire, whereas Seaghdh loves to contemplate and garden. Otherwise, both are experienced skirmishers and defenders, having lived through many desperate fights against the Inquisition, Renegades, and the creatures of the land. C3: Morag’s House This large, wood and reed hut is by far the most decorated of the village, fantastical paintings of the Fey adorn the walls of the hut, each wall depicting a different season. Inside, a rich carpet of animal furs blanket the floor of the hut, and a large hearth dominates the southernmost (summer) wall. The smell of incense lingers in the air, as does the aroma of something delicious brewing in a large pot over the hearth. This hut is home to the leader of the village, a Beastfolk Witch named Morag. Morag (a snake-human) has trained two other witches, Suibahn (Shuh - von) and Cathall (Cath - ull). If you chose to have the adventurers encounter a witch, choose between Suibahn and Cathall. Cathall (a rabbit-human beastfolk) is the eldest, and Morag’s son. Sweet hearted and kind, Cathall is mostly interested in healing and helping nurture those in the village. Suibahn (a feline-human beastfolk) is more interested in delving the mysteries of the Old Faith, and frequently travels to other villages or to seek out Mata Yezinka. Morag, for her part, is very knowledgeable and even-tempered, though mostly stays at her hut to brew potions due to the ailments that come with age. Village gatherings happen inside when the weather is foul, and otherwise many villagers visit Morag throughout the day, and others often stay with her when ill or dealing with the many traumas of life. C4: Villagers’ Hut This wood and reed hut sits among gardens of flowers, herbs, and crops, and the sounds of children can be heard coming from within. A colorful garland of drying herbs and flowers hangs between the two huts, and several Beastfolk come and go as they pursue various chores. This houses the majority of the villagers, the Beastfolk preferring to house in numbers due to safety as well as the benefits of communal living. They raise children together, cook together, and essentially live as one large family together. Typically, children move out of the home once they’ve gotten an apprenticeship and then live with their mentor, though not always. And, of course, new huts are built when the population expands enough to make things crowded. Seaghdh —Medium humanoid , Neutral Good Armor Class 16 (studded leather armor) Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30) Speed — 30 ft, climb 15ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA —11 (+4) 18 (+0) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) Skills Acrobatics +6, Athletics +5, Perception +6 Senses passive Perception 16 Languages Sylvan Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Archer’s Eye (3/Day). As a bonus action, the archer can add 1d10 to its next attack or damage roll with a longbow —or shortbow. Actions Multiattack. The archer makes four attacks with its longbow or four attacks with a shortsword. Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage. Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage
147 CH 3 LESHEHOFF C5: Trader’s Hut This hut is tied to the villager’s hut by a colorful garland of small strips of cloth, along with dried flowers and herbs. It looks much the same as the villager’s hut, though it lacks a hearth. The Trader’s Hut sits next to that of the villagers, a sign of being considered like family, though it is often used by the villagers when there are no travelers staying with them. Many traders also prefer to use their own tents when the weather is fine, as that lets them sleep near their wares. Theft is uncommon, but not unheard of, particularly when it comes to some of the wildlife. Still, almost all business is conducted inside the Trader’s Hut, and it is always available to guests of the village. C6: Blacksmith’s Hut The sounds of a hammer hitting iron and steel ring out into the village. Smoke rises from a chimney built into the roof and the glow of the forge shines through the square windows cut into the walls of the hut. A bellows pumps steadily like the beat of a heart as the smiths work. The smith of the village is a half-elf - dog named Cormag that works with several apprentices. They mostly create tools and cookware, but also forge the various weapons and armor that the warriors need. Cormag doesn’t offer anything for sale, but rather provides whatever the village needs on demand. That said, he does have a few daggers available for trade. C7: Fire Pit A large fire burns in the center of the village, various pots of different sizes and purposes suspended above it on wooden poles of various heights. The fire is constantly being tended, stacks of wood brought from a reserve while others manage the embers and flames. It’s clear that this fire pit is the center of the community, as villagers meet here to cook, eat, and chat. When the weather is good, the fire pit is the center of the community and the nightly gathering place for entertainment, news, discussions, and rituals. When the weather is bad, Morag’s home becomes the center of the village, though cooking is usually split between her hut and the villagers’ hut. Additionally, many beastfolk families will cook communal meals over the fire pit, with the meal prep looking something like a ritual to outsiders. As every ingredient is prepared and added to the meal, the Beastfolk chefs thank the ingredient and tell the story of the ingredient’s spirit. Most of these tales relate both the natural version of the ingredient (as the adventurers would know them), as well as the warped version that Czernobog has turned them into. For instance, the story of the Raddish Spirit is an anthropomorphized yarn that both describes a regular raddish, as well as warns the listeners to never grasp the leaves of the Wreythian raddish with bare fur, feathers, scales, or skin lest the tendrils of the leaves dig beneath the surface and begin to feed off of your blood. All of this information is woven into an entertaining folk tale that is so well known even the children can pick up parts of the story if one of the chefs get distracted. This way, knowledge is passed down and preserved. Special Events The Mother Comes This special event triggers if the adventurers spend the night within the village. She will arrive during the night, slipping inside the Trader’s Hut to speak with the adventurers about a few grave matters. Feel free to read the following description: Deep into the night, you’re disturbed from your slumber. At first, you’re unsure what caused you to awaken, but then you feel a slight tremor run through the ground beneath you, followed by something rising up from the earth itself. At first all you see is a pair of
148 CH 3 LESHEHOFF antlers rising from the soil like those of an elk rising from a lake, but then you see the antlers are attached to the head of a woman who continues to rise from the earth. She’s clad in animal leathers, with swirling patterns tattooed onto her skin. She grips a staff in her left hand, with a crystal embedded on top of the staff pulsing faintly with violet light.] If the characters have already met Mata Yezinka due to character death (see Dealing with Death in Chapter 1), then this will be their second encounter with her. If not, then she will politely apologize for disturbing their slumber and introduce herself as “The Guardian of the Old Faith”, though she will concede the Beastfolk know her as Mata Yezinka. She will explain that with their coming to the land, change hangs upon the air. She will ask the adventurers to help her ensure that that change benefits the land and its people rather than harm them. To that end, she will introduce a quest that she will ask the characters to perform, as well as inform them of the rituals that they could take part in (see Quests at the end of this section). The first Quest is to go to The Catacombs (L10) and free all of the prisoners that reside there. She will also explain that the adventurers can find ancient relics of great power hidden within the Catacombs, but that they must be careful as that power comes with a significant cost. What Mata Yezinka Will Explain As an Archdruid that’s lived in Wreythau for almost a thousand years, Mata Yezinka knows almost as much as Czerina does. Nevertheless, she believes that knowledge has a time and place, and thus will only be willing to share the following: • The Inquisition follows a false god founded by a corrupted angel. Who the angel disguises itself as, she doesn’t know, though she is positive it still resides somewhere within the Abbey of St. Zharkov. • There are vampires that lurk near the road to Raffenburg, though they don’t wear the colors of the Order of Blood, the knights who serve the Blood Queen. • The Blood Queen is very, very real. It was she who caused the storm that shipwrecked them, though whether it was intentional or not, she doesn’t know. • The Blood Queen is not to be trusted. Whatever she once was, she is now a servant of darkness. • The town of Leshehoff has been agitated by frequent raids carried out by the Followers of Agrona, a warlike and hateful faction of the Beastfolk. The Followers have retreated to the Cailleach Wilds to celebrate the solstice and gather allies from the Corrupted Sidhe, however, and won’t return for months. • Everything in Wreythau has been twisted by an evil power so that everything from the soil, to the trees, to the wildlife has become a sadistic predator. The Old Faith, however, still teaches what nature is meant to be. • The evil power’s name is Czernobog, and it once lived on the Material Plane, though it’s power was never so great as it is now. • The Blood Queen is Czernobog’s Champion. If you deem it wise, or the characters happen to trigger this event after having met other important NPCs, feel free to have Mata Yezinka share more information, though don’t be afraid to be cryptic or speak in metaphor. Otherwise, there are several Quests that Mata Yezinka can introduce to the adventurers to help them bond with Beastfolk society. Some of these quests take the form of rituals, though not all of them. Quests: Free The Beastfolk Mata Yezinka asks the characters to free the captured Beastfolk within the Catacombs at the Abbey of St. Zharkov. This is a very dangerous quest, and one that is best done with great stealth, as it could incur the Inquisition’s wrath. Nevertheless, it would free innocents from a horrible fate, as well as protect the Beastfolk society at large as the Inquisition will be unable to learn more about the location of their
149 CH 3 LESHEHOFF villages, trading routes, and hunting grounds. Furthermore, Mata Yezinka will reveals that there are ancient relics of great power being kept in the Catacombs, relics that would greatly aid the adventurers, though she will warn the adventurers that it is power that comes at a great cost. Ritual: Tribal Initiation Should the adventurers wish to join the Tribes of Caeltos and become a part of the Beastfolk community, then there is an initiation ritual that they can perform. However, they must first gain permission from Morag, the de facto leader of the village. Though Mata Yezinka is the spiritual leader of the Old Faith, she does not lead the Beastfolk themselves. If the adventurers speak to Morag, she will agree to let them join the tribe, but in order to do so they must first discover what animals their spirits connect to. The Beastfolk, after all, are in touch with their own animal aspects, and should the adventurers wish to join them, then they will need to do the same. In order to accomplish this, they must gather sacred items and use them to create a sacred brew that will grant them each a vision. First, the adventurers must retrieve a holy mortar and pestle from within the Catacombs (L10E). The mortar and pestle are ancient, enchanted items that once belonged to a famous Beastfolk Druidess. Unfortunately, the Druidess was captured and executed by the Inquisition centuries ago. For the adventurers to return it to the Beastfolk, they would prove themselves worthy of joining the tribes. Also, since they’re already in the catacombs, rescuing the Beastfolk held captive there would only further their heroic deeds. Second, the adventurers must gather sacred mushrooms from a grove not far from the village. Unfortunately for the adventurers, the mushrooms are growing upon a corrupted Treant which they must destroy in order to gather the fungus growing upon its body. Once the elk has been slain, the adventurers must harvest its meat as a gift for Corrupted Treant Huge plant, chaotic evil —Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 138 (12d12 + 60) Speed — 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA —23 (+6) 8 (-0) 21 (+5) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) Skills Acrobatics +6, Athletics +5, Perception +6 Damage Vulnerabilities fire Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing Senses passive Perception 13 Languages Common, Druidic, Elvish, Sylvan Challenge 9 (5,000 XP) False Appearance. While the treant remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a normal tree. Siege Monster. The treant deals double damage to objects and —structures.. Actions Multiattack. The treant makes two slam attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage. Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 60/180 ft., one target. Hit: 28 (4d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage. Animate Trees (1/Day). The treant magically animates one or two trees it can see within 60 feet of it. These trees have the same statistics as a treant, except they have Intelligence and Charisma scores of 1, they can’t speak, and they have only the Slam action option. An animated tree acts as an ally of the treant. The tree remains animate for 1 day or until it dies; until the treant dies or is more than 120 feet from the tree; or until the treant takes a bonus action to turn it back into an inanimate tree. The tree then takes root if possible. Monstrous Elk Huge beast, unaligned —Armor Class 13 (natural armor) Hit Points 126 (11d12 + 55) Speed — 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA —24 (+7) 9 (-0) 21 (+5) 3 (-4) 11 (+0) 6 (-2) Senses passive Perception 10 Languages — Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Trampling Charge. If the elk moves at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and then hits it with a gore attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the elk can make one —stomp attack against it as a bonus action.. Actions Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 25 (4d8 + 7) piercing damage. Stomp. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one prone creature. Hit: 29 (4d10 + 7) bludgeoning damage..
150 CH 3 LESHEHOFF the tribe, as well as harvest specific organs for the ritual brew. Now, they can use the enchanted mortar and pestle to grind the mushrooms and the organs of the elk into a paste and smear it across their eyelids before they go to sleep. Once asleep, they will dream vivid dreams, and connect with the animalistic parts of their being. Ask the players if they know what Animal their character most connects to. If they’re not sure, you can assign them one. Either way, once the adventurers have received their visions, they must adopt the symbol of their animal. This could be done by creating Heraldry for themselves (Madalina Boritresc, the tailor with a Beastfolk child from L8, could help with this), by crafting jewelry, or by applying face paint that resembles the animal. The adventurers must display the symbol of their animal to be counted as a member of the Tribes. Ritual: The Wedding Six members of the village wish to be wed. However, before they perform the handfasting, they wish to bless their partners with gifts, and the village is also out of the materials needed to make six arm rings. They were planning on using woven arm rings, but with the arrival of the adventurers, this presents them with a new opportunity. They will ask the adventures to help them collect the following items from Leshehoff: • 50 gold coins and 50 silver coins to be melted into arm rings. • An athame (ritual dagger) worth 10 gold. • A cooking pot. • A new dress. • Rabbit skins, a sewing kit, and stuffing to make toys. • A chain shirt. • Barrels of ale, wine, or spirits. If the adventurers agree to help the Beastfolk and gather these materials, then they will be invited to the wedding as special guests. This will be an event filled with singing, dancing, and laughter, and all good things. A moment of levity and joy amongst all the darkness. Feel free to make the ceremony as fantastical as you like. Thanks to the druids’ magic, the ceremony will be safe, and almost anything is possible, from being visited by swarms of butterflies made of colored light to cups that are never empty. Get your high fantasy on, and have some moments of wonder and awe before delving back into the darkness.