151 CH 3 LESHEHOFF Ritual: Rite of Awen This ritual can only be learned once the adventurers have become part of the Beastfolk tribes (see the initiation ritual above). Once they have become part of the tribe, however, Morag can instruct the adventurers on how to perform the Rite of Awen, summoning the essence of inspiration and truth around them. However, in order to actually receive the blessings of Awen, the characters must perform sacred deeds that truly exemplify its essence. Thankfully, there are many ways to do this, several of which are suggested below: • If the adventurers free the spirit of Iphigenia Tornheim (L2Q), they will be able to channel the essence of Awen and perform the rite. • If the adventurers are able to stop an act of violence with the use of Persuasion. • If the adventurers can pass on Marian Valborg’s last words (L10A) with his wife and daughter (Sybilla and Tabea, found in L6). • If the adventurers use illusion magic to expose a lie. • If the adventurers reveal Sir Hajek’s true motivations to Baroness Tornheim (Special Event: Meeting at the Crossroads). You are encouraged to think up other ways, as well, those the five examples above present the most obvious examples of Awen in action. Once the adventurers have met the above criteria, they gain access to the following ability: Ritual: Descent to the Underworld This final ritual (for Volume 1) can be performed to awaken a character to their past lives. It is not particularly difficult to perform, but is exceedingly dangerous and can be quite traumatic to characters that are not prepared for it. To begin, the ritual must be performed at one of the Megalithic Standing Stone sites. The ritual performers must then mix a concoction of mandrake, wolfsbane, and belladonna and apply it to the eyes. Next, the ritual performers must be given the Essence of Ether (DMG 258) and buried alive. From there, their spirit is able to descend to the underworld, a realm of unending darkness and wandering spirits. A DC 18 Arcana Check will reveal that this ritual likely mimics Astral Projection, but to the reaches of the Shadowfell instead of the Astral Sea. Regardless, the spirit of the ritual performers must then do battle with their past lives. This could take the shape of the characters fighting exact copies of themselves (recommended to put a Relic to sleep), you could use creatures from the Shadowfell, reflavor devils or demons, or even invent new encounters all on your own. You are encouraged to be as metaphorical as you wish. You could even turn the descent into the underworld into an entire Dungeon if you wish. Whatever you decide, however, the ritual performers must emerge victorious or risk their spirit getting lost in the Underworld permanently. If this ritual is performed on Gavran, the adventurers can accompany him on his journey in order to ensure his spirit doesn’t become lost. If that’s the case, consider using the stat block for a Fire Giant (Monster Manual, page 154) to represent Gavran’s incarnation as Czerina’s father. If this ritual is performed on an adventurer that has been reincarnate, raised by Czerina, or re-assembled by the Mad Alchemist (see Dealing with Death, in Chapter 1), then they are able to gain the benefits of True Resurrection The Rite of Awen Spell-Like Ability Once, each day, the character can channel the spirit —of divine inspiration and sacred truth, gaining the following benefits: The character can cast the Zone of Truth spell with a save DC of 20. The character cannot roll below 10 on Performance checks. Once the rite has been performed, the characters must wait 24 hours before being able to invoke it again. The rite lasts for 1 hour.
152 CH 3 LESHEHOFF (i.e. getting their old body back) if they succeed in performing the ritual. Again, this could be a solo encounter, or an entire Dungeon the party must undertake together, whatever would make for a better story for you and your group. Leshehoff The town of Leshehoff is a bastion of civilization in the midst of hostile wilderness. The dense forests open up onto acre after acre of farmland and pastures, all overseen by a network of fortified farmhouses and outposts. Meanwhile, the town itself sits behind high stone walls, constantly patrolled and protected by the militarized forces of the Town Watch and their mercenary allies from the Consortium. Yet no matter how high their walls or how many swords the town can call, danger still looms. Increasingly devastating raids by warlike bands of Beastfolk have submerged the town in a sea of fear, and more and more of the people have begun to turn away from the stalwart Baroness, Ekaterina Tornheim, who leads the Watch in favor of the righteous fury of the Church of the Morning Lord and its Inquisition in the hopes of salvation. Now, neighbor looks upon neighbor with suspicion and fear as the armored boots of Inquisitors echo off the cobblestones, all while the massive Abbey of St. Zharkov looms nearby. The Consortium, for its part, looks upon the Inquisition with disdain, though is more concerned with its hunt for the dissidents and firebrands that have been stirring up trouble in other parts of the kingdom. Many of these fugitives have been tracked to Leshehoff itself, and a sympathizer is suspected to reside somewhere within the walls of the town. Who
153 CH 3 LESHEHOFF they might be, however, is unknown. Bounties have been posted all throughout the town, though the fliers have become little more than trash fluttering in the wind. The townsfolk have other concerns, as rumors spread like the plague of the demonic Tax Collector’s imminent arrival. No doubt the actions of the adventurers will push things past the boiling point, though the question remains: whose interests will their actions serve, and who will get a blade in the heart? This next section will first describe the information citizens of Leshehoff know, followed by a description of the most important places in town, the NPCs that reside in those places, and important quest information and special events for each place. Leshehoff Lore Below are the average rumors and pieces of information that the citizens of Leshehoff know: • The way to Raffenburg has been destroyed by a recent storm. That means the only way to reach the city is weeks of dangerous woodland travel. And, to the south, Inbarev has been beset by a surge of Beastfolk raids, making travel equalling impossible. • The Beasts of the woods may walk like humans, or elfs, or orcs, but they’re little more than bloodthirsty demons, practicing depraved rituals in the shadows of the woods. • Those caught by the Beasts are butchered while still alive, their heads left on spikes, their bones turned into the very armor those foul creatures wear. • A great army of Beastfolk is gathering in the woods. Aye, soon as it grows big enough it’ll descend upon the town, could happen any day. • Those that consort with demons transform into the Beastfolk themselves, their flesh revealing the wicked and evil natures that they been keeping hidden within. • The Inquisition can perform miracles. Aye, tis true! Their priests heal the sick and, some say that their most revered Abbot can even raise the dead. • The Abbot is a living saint, he is, and only the most holy and pure of heart may set eyes upon him. • Only the Unholy are burned by the Inquisition’s fire, don’t ye doubt it. • Some say the Baroness spurns the Inquisition because she consorts with the darkness, but me brother is in the Watch and he’d lay down his life for her as soon as she asked. He said she’s killed more servants of darkness than half the watch combined, and she’s saved the lives of the other half out in the field. Ain’t no demon sympathizer acts like that. • The Baron Consort is a shrewd man, he is. Always trust his counsel, though some say he learns what he knows from the lips of the devils themselves. • The Merchant Consortium has been chasing criminals over half the kingdom and back. Say they’re arsonists and murderers, liars and cheats, but why haven’t they turned to the Inquisition for help in that case? • I heard the tailor, Madalina, is suffering from some terrible illness after she gave birth and no one’s seen her since. Her husband says she’s fine, just needs rest, is all, but why’s no one seen her or the babe, then? What is he hiding? • Don’t trust the Alchemist, no matter what she says. She might have turned in her husband for consorting with demons, but she don’t show up for prayer and they say her daughter’s been speaking of terrible, evil things. Surely only the Inquisition can help, but she hides in her shop instead. • The best place in town for a brew or a meal is the Copper Crown Tavern, though the tavern-keep, Cival, certainly don’t charge by the copper. Word is there’s plenty of coin to be won in the back rooms for those that don’t mind praying to lady luck, too. • Tax Collector’s coming. That time of year, and the messengers say they’ve seen his coach upon the road. •
154 CH 3 LESHEHOFF • They say the Tax Collector is really a demon wearing the flesh of a man and that’s why he doesn’t age. Others say he’s just an elf, but not even elves live that long. Besides, he can do things ain’t nobody can do. He split a man in half last year with just a glance, and the man was drunk, besides, nevermind that he gave insult. Approaching the Gates As characters near the gates, read the following: As you travel, the forest suddenly opens to a vast expanse of pastures and farmland as far as you can see, a wide patch of scorched earth forming the barrier between the two. Already, small sprouts of green have begun to grow up through the burnt soil, the forest eager to reclaim its own. In the distance you can see what appears to be the outline of a walled town, drifts of smoke lifting up into the sky high above. Moving in that direction, you come across a fenced highway that leads through what seems to be an endless passageway of various crops until you finally reach the walls of the town. The walls stand as massive monuments of stone high above you, while a raised, iron portcullis and a pair of massive wooden gates guard the entrance to the town. The walls are made of stone and are about 30 feet high and four feet thick. The Watchtowers are about 50 feet high. As the adventurers approach, they are hailed by the Town Watch (hereafter referred to as the Watch). If the adventurers can give a halfway-plausible explanation of who they are and why they wish to enter the city (spending coin is always good), then the Watch will open the gates and two soldiers will come outside to inspect the adventuring party. The Town Watch will examine the adventurers for any signs of evil (see Prejudice Among Wreythians in Chapter 1). If the characters have any Beastfolk present the Watch will attack. Otherwise, once satisfied (a DC 12 Persuasion Check if necessary), the Watch will let the characters into the town so long as they agree to record their names and business in the gate registry. Once that simple bureaucratic formality is over, the characters will have full access to the town (assuming they don’t get into trouble, of course). This brings the adventurers to the town gates. Watch Soldier —Medium humanoid (any race), any alignmentt Armor Class 18 (chain mail, shield) Hit Points 16 (3d8 + 3) Speed — 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA —16 (+3) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 11 (+3) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) Skills Athletics +5, Perception +2 Senses passive Perception 12 Languages any one language (usually Common) Challenge — 1/2 (100 XP) Formation Tactics. The Watch Soldier has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, frightened, grappled, or restrained while it is within 5 feet of at least one ally. Watch Training. While wielding a spear and a shield, the Watch Soldier count as wielding their spear in both hands and the spear damage increases to 1d8. Horn. The Watch Soldier carries a horn that can be heard up to 1000 ft away. It takes an action to blow the horn. Actions Spear. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.
155 CH 3 LESHEHOFF L1 - Town Gates As you pass through the massive wooden gates you find yourself stepping into a small courtyard that looks like a mustering ground. Wooden palisades partially obstruct your entry, with even more stored nearby. To one side lies several pieces of defensive siege equipment, while a solid brick guardhouse lies on the other side. The town practically seems to be preparing for war. There are always at least 12 Watch Soldiers stationed in or around the guardhouse, 2 for each tower, and 2 to operate the gate and portcullis, for a total of at least 16 Watch Soldiers at each gate (5 gates). Furthermore, there are at least 4 of the Watch patrolling from each watchtower along the wall (8 watchtowers not counting the gates). About 20 Watch patrol the city during the day and 10 at night. That makes for about 112 active Watch inside the city at all times, and about twice that many resting for a standing army of (rounded up) about 350 Watch within the city. Another 100 Watch are on patrol between farmhouses in the fields and along the edges of the forest giving Leshehoff a standing army of about 450 soldiers (one tenth the population of the town). This is comparable to a city as vast as Raffenburg despite the town’s much smaller size. Nonetheless, the area around Leshehoff is considerably more dangerous and so has warranted a guard force of this size. The Baroness commands the force, though her husband would act as next in the chain of command were the Baroness to fall. Leshehoff forms a powerful
156 CH 3 LESHEHOFF Barony that could grow into a separate power in its own right if not for the presence of the Merchant Consortium and the Inquisition, nevermind Czerina’s court. Special Event: Challenge at the Gates This event triggers whenever the adventurers try to leave the city for the first time (such as to help the Alchemist or Tailor). One of the Watch Captains has heard rumors about the party (or otherwise found reason to hold a grudge should the party have accomplished some of the major quests in town) and has decided to apprehend them. This could be to interrogate them as to their true motives (demon worshippers, saboteurs, etc), or perhaps to perform some vigilante justice if the adventurers have killed anyone or destroyed any property in town. Either way, the Watch at the gate (see above) will be ordered to arrest them. The Watch will move cautiously, and try to convince the characters to surrender. Clever uses of magic, persuasion rolls, or some form of trickery will likely change the Guard Captain’s mind. The characters would certainly have advantage if known to be working for the Baroness. Nevertheless, this should inspire some paranoia into the adventuring party, and remind them that there is a great deal of hostility in the land. Should the characters fight the Watch, they will become criminals, no matter that the Watch Captain is acting unlawfully. It would take the personal intervention of the Baroness to pardon the characters from that point on, or an inspiring hold on public opinion. If the characters surrender, they are brought into the guardhouse and interrogated one by one. This can be a good way to remind characters of their actions within Leshehoff (good or bad), or otherwise needle the characters in some way (secrets, appearance, etc). If the characters defend themselves well (through roleplay or rolls in the 13-15 range), have the Watch Soldier beneath the Captain pull a small mutiny and release the adventurers. If the adventurers trip up, have it take time but within a day the authority of the town releases them. Note: if the characters surrendered after violence, and without being able to secure a pardon then they would be released outside the gates and exiled from the town. This is almost impossible as it would require the characters to have made an enemy of whichever authority currently controls the town (likely the Baroness). At that point, heading to Raffenburg might be a good idea. Or, if they’ve made friends with Cival, she would smuggle the characters back in. Joining the Inquisition could also grant access, as could disguises, stealth, or some other trickery. Lacking any of those options, Beleroth could also grant a pardon after they’ve visited the Blood Queen. He would track them down if unable to meet in town. L2 - Barony Mansion This grand mansion looks, like much of Leshehoff, a vision of time long since past. Made of solid brick and painted a stately gray, with a black shingled roof, the mansion sits with a solemn dignity, the light shining from the windows saving the extravagant dwelling from an air of gloom. The Barony Mansion is the ancestral home of Baroness Ekaterina Tornheim’s family, though it has been held by other families in the past. Regardless, the Tornheim’s have ruled from the mansion for centuries and only historians know of the previous occupants, the
157 CH 3 LESHEHOFF other nobles having long since forgotten the Barony belonging to anyone else. Anyone in town can direct the characters to the Mansion. Servants receive requests and messages from citizens of the town quite frequently, so there’s no need for any pretense of exclusivity. Ekaterina herself is a tall, athletic, middle aged woman with dark braided hair, who happens to trade her gowns for armor on most days. She leads many patrols, often leaving matters of state to her husband, the Baron Consort Stefan Setchik. Stefan, for his part, is a darkly handsome man, a most skilled statesman and the scion of one of the noble houses of Leshehoff. Interacting with the Tornheims Ekaterina is a woman driven by discipline and an ironclad sense of duty. This often makes her come off as severe and humorless, though the truth is quite different. Ekaterina’s humor just happens to be much darker, and much drier, than most, and her jokes tend to escape those without a quick wit. Nonetheless, she very much Stefan Tornheim (Né Setchik) —Medium human, Lawful Good Armor Class 15 (breastplate) Hit Points 15 (2d8 +6) Speed — 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA —11 (+0) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 11 (+0) 18 (+4) 18 (+4) Skills Deception +5, Insight +4, Persuasion +5 Senses passive Perception 12 Languages any two languages Challenge — 1/8 (25 XP) Actions Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage. Reactions Parry. Stefan adds 2 to his AC against one melee attack that would hit it. To do so, he must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon. Baroness Ekaterina Tornheim —Medium humanoid (human), lawful good Armor Class 17 (half plate armor) Hit Points 152 (15d8 + 55) Speed — 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA —18 (+4) 15 (+2) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 15 (+2) 16 (+3) Saving Throws Con +6, Int +7, Wis +6 Skills Insight +6, Perception +6, Stealth +6 Senses passive Perception 16 Languages Common, Elven, Dwarven, Draconic, Infernal, Abyssal Challenge — 10 (5,900 XP) Spellcasting. The Baroness is an 8th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following wizard spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): blade ward, light, message, true strike, firebolt, shocking grasp 1st level (4 slots): jump, expeditious retreat, magic missile, sleep, thunderwave 2nd level (3 slots): blur, invisibility, see invisibility, misty step 3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, fireball, haste 4th level (2 slots): fire shield, wall of fire War Magic. When the Baroness uses her action to cast a spell, she can make one weapon attack as a bonus action. Great Weapon Expertise: When the baroness hits an attack with her greatsword she can add 13 (4d6) slashing damage to. Legendary Resistance (1/Day). If Cival fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead. Stat Block Heading Greatsword +2. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 25 (4d6 + 6) slashing damage. Legendary Actions The Baroness can take 3 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. The Baroness regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn. Move. The Baroness moves up to her speed without provoking opportunity attacks. Attack. The Baroness makes one attack. Cast (cost 2). The Baroness may cast one spell that takes an action or bonus action to cast. Tactics: The Baroness will only attack when she or her town are threatened. Once that’s happened her favorite tactics include casting Haste as soon as possible, followed by Fire Shield, and then lots of attacks and fireballs, focusing casters and clerics first. If possible, she will take prisoners but once combat has begun she has no qualms about killing.
158 CH 3 LESHEHOFF enjoys the finer things in life, and holds as much love for her family as she does for her people and her duty. Stefan, for his part, is a perfect compliment for his wife. In public he is exuberant and jovial, serving as a complimentary foil that helps inspire the hearts of the people. In private, he is actually much the same, helping provide balance and joy to the Tornheim household. Of course, he is no empty headed dandy. It was his good counsel that helped win Ekaterina’s heart just as much as it was his vivacity. However, they are not perfect human beings. Both are firmly entrenched in the feudal social order and believe that bleating sheeple of the land requires a firm hand and wise heads to help shepherd them towards safety and a better life. This elitism is mostly hidden, as it is the reality that they live in, though they are not hopelessly buried within their own prejudice. They do recognize that there are extraordinary individuals that rise from the ranks of the common folk, a seed that could one day sprout into something far more beautiful than their current biases. Lastly, the Tornheim line includes two children, a son and daughter, both of whom are off studying at the University of Raffenburg. This means that the Baroness’ heirs are both safely out of the way in the event that anything tragic happens, though not so far that they couldn’t be summoned if need be. Quest: Witch Hunt Triggering Event: Tarasov’s Request See page 166. The Baroness and her husband both desire what’s best for their people, and each have turned to the demands of duty in complement to one another (and ironically, an inverse of Czerina’s own parents, though this hasn’t drawn any consideration from the Queen beyond dark amusement). Ekaterina is the expert on all matters concerning law and warfare, whereas Stefan handles municipal policy, politicking, and public relations. Together, they manage the various economic policies with a council of lesser nobles, and so far this has worked well for the Barony. They’re both very good at what they do and are well liked by many, but not, as it happens, by those who follow the Morning Lord. The Inquisition, in particular, has grown to resent the rule of the Barony, largely due to the Baroness’ lack of faith and her resistance to their influence upon the rule of her people. They’ve begun a campaign to erode the public’s support of the Baroness and her husband, not to mention having begun to gather more of their strength in preparation for outright conflict. The High Inquisitor, Viktor Tarasov, leads the campaign. He suspects that there must be some dark secret that the Baroness is hiding, what with her knowledge of magic and her constant questioning of the Morning Lord’s dogma, and so he believes that finding and exposing her vile secrets will be the key to destroying her public image and support and thus allowing for her overthrow. Unfortunately for the Baroness, Tarasov is partially right. She does have a secret, and one that would be incredibly damaging, though not due to the reasons that he suspects. She’s not a servant of darkness, though unbeknownst to her, she does happen to be courting disaster. The arrival of the Renegade knights of the Order of Blood have convinced her that she might be able to save her town from further Beastfolk assault if she leads a pre-emptive strike. Her forces combined with the might of the knights would be powerful enough to risk a campaign deep into the woods to exterminate the Beastfolk once and for all (or so she believes). So it’s worth it, in her mind, to try to plan an alliance with the Renegades, even if her own people might be horrified to learn this. The Order of Blood is universally hated and feared, though the people understand that they are a necessary evil. To outright oppose them would be to invite destruction, but to willingly work with them, well, that would inspire great doubt and fear in her people, undermining much of
159 CH 3 LESHEHOFF the trust and loyalty that her family had built over the centuries. Nevertheless, Tornheim is willing to risk this if it means her lands are kept safe from further raids and invasion. Besides, she happens to know of the leader of the Renegades. Sir Braclav Hajek was a famous Watch Soldier that served under her grandfather, and though he left to join the Order of Blood, she still grew up hearing stories about him. So, to meet him in the flesh all these years later, and to learn that he commands a force that could help her people, well, it’s enough to inspire trust where there perhaps should be none. Despite the small warning in her heart, she’s begun to meet Sir Hajek at the crossroads that lead to Raffenberg. Together they plot a joint campaign against the Beastfolk, one that she believes will ensure the safety of her people. Beyond that secret, however, Baroness Tornheim is exactly who she appears to be, and the High Inquisitor’s witch hunt is simply that: an effort to undermine a powerful woman, all for the benefit of himself and his church. In truth, Ekaterina is a woman driven by duty, as well as love for her lands and her people. She is devoted to right thought and action, and is about as close to an enlightened despot as anyone could be. Tarasov, however, doesn’t care. She doesn’t bow to the authority of the Church, and thus she must go. Secular governance has lasted long enough. It’s time for a theocratic rule. Of course, Baroness Tornheim knows of the threat the faith of the Morning Lord poses. She realizes how power hungry they are, and how dangerous, but unfortunately for her, they are too deeply entrenched into the Barony. Her own ancestors were once fervently devout before breaking away over the generations, so it’s no simple matter to restrict the movements or activities of the Church or its Inquisition. The adventurers, however, might present an opportunity, particularly if tensions do come to a head. For more information on the Baroness plans regarding the Church, see the Special Event “The Baroness’ Dinner” and “Meeting at the Crossroads” at the end of the chapter. Otherwise, the various secrets and clues that relate to Tarasov’s quest are discussed in their respective locations within the Mansion. L2A - Entrance Hall The ornate wooden doors of the mansion open up onto a grand entrance hall with beautiful marble floors and brass lanterns with elaborate glasswork glowing merely beneath balconies that overhang part of the first floor. Twin staircases
160 CH 3 LESHEHOFF carpeted in luxurious red sit between arches that lead into the Grand Ballroom ahead. The grand entrance hall is the beginning of an opulent facade. Most of the maintenance and repairs are focused solely on the public spaces in the house, notably the first floor and the dining room. While wealthy by the standards of Leshehoff, the Baroness’ household devotes most of its funds to supporting the Town Watch’s coffers rather than their own indulgence. Nevertheless, the Baroness and her husband are prideful and don’t wish for anyone to realize how tight their budget has become. For characters wishing to break into the mansion, a DC 15 Thieves Tools Check will unlock the door. Hint: this means Ekaterina and Stefan are quite vague when discussing finances (such as acquiring new art, furniture, etc) which might be suspicious for the adventurers. L2B - Grand Library The door opens upon a large library, bookshelves packed with ancient tomes running the length of the walls and interrupted only by the display of artwork, old paintings and sculptures that have just begun to show their age. Luxurious chaises, chairs, and end tables furnish the room, revealing that the room is meant for socialization rather than academic study. One door leads to the Entrance Hall whereas the other leads to the Grand Ballroom. This room is one of two where the Baroness or her husband will host guests. Beyond that, the shelves are full of histories, plays, collections of poems, novels, folklore and basic arcane texts. The books are very old, the youngest being about a century old, though magic has helped preserve them. A DC 15 Insight Check reveals that this is a carefully curated collection of texts, though its overt lack of religious texts is a remarkable exclusion. Furthermore, any character with access to the library gains advantage on History checks while within the library. L2C - Grand Ballroom This magnificent room features a polished marble floor that gleams beneath fantastical crystal chandeliers. A massive harp stands before a small bandstand in the North East corner of the room. Aside from the archways that lead from the Entrance Hall, doors open to the Grand Library, Parlor, and Servants Workroom. The Grand Ballroom is where all indoor public functions are held, from gatherings, to town halls, or other festivities. Most of the nobles (who also dislike the overreach of the Inquisition) get married in this room, which is fitting due tohow ornate and luxurious the room truly is. What’s more, in the depths of the night, when no one is around, the massive harp that sits in the grand ballroom softly plays itself, though there is no enchantment upon it. This is the ghost of Iphigenia Tornheim, the same ghost that haunts The Tower (L2Q). Iphigenia was a musician that dreamed of traveling, meeting new people, sharing her music and having new music shared with her in turn. Sadly, her father, Lucian Tornheim, was a devout follower of the Morning Lord and refused to have his daughter live such a sinful life. Thus, when she kept trying to escape, he chained her up in the tower until the day she died. This horrible family secret is part of what inspired Ekaterina’s hatred of the Church and its Inquisition. For more information on the ghost of Iphigenia, see L2Q. L2D - The Parlor This well appointed room opens up to the Entrance Hall and Grand Ballroom. Two expensive chairs sit beside end tables while an ornate card table is ringed by four seats at the other end of the room. Large, incredibly
161 CH 3 LESHEHOFF beautiful paintings adorn the walls and a lush carpet lies beneath your feet. Adventurers will recognize the work of Isidora gracing the walls, though these paintings don’t move. The works also seem, somehow, slightly more disturbing than what they saw in The Wrecks. Little details that subtly hint at terrible deaths and great tragedies are worked into each composition. Otherwise, this room is where friends are entertained, the table perfect for dragonchess, cards, or even dice. The chairs are also often put into a circle for philosophical debates and other discussions best held away from a room full of quick references. L2E - Servant’s Workroom A door from the ballroom leads into this large room dominated by a long table in the center. From the stacks of crockery and silverware here, as well as several garments and drapes, it’s clear this is the workroom where the servants of the mansion perform much of the behind-the-scenes work: polishing, sewing, and otherwise repairing or performing upkeep on their master’s belongings. To the west of the table lies a staircase leading to the second floor, as well as a door that leads to the Servants Quarters. To the east lies a door that leads to the kitchen. The Baroness and her family employ eight servants, five of which reside inside the Mansion itself. One of those servants is a young human man named Durov, who is exceptionally fervent in his faith. If the adventurers enter the workroom, Durov will approach them and ask to speak with them in private at the Copper Crown Tavern. If the adventurers do not enter the workroom, then Durov will follow them when they leave the mansion and try to speak with them then. Durov was the first person that Tarasov approached about finding dirt on the Baroness and her family, a task he agreed to with all the fanaticism and youthful energy he possessed, but such fervor almost led to him getting fired, and so he’s had to tone it down. He’s a simple footman in the Baroness’ employ, and thus has very restricted access around the mansion. Nonetheless, Durov has discovered enough to convince him that Tarasov is right and that the Baroness really is a servant of evil. He will plead with the adventurers to believe him and will present the following as evidence of something much more nefarious going on: • The harp in the Grand Ballroom (L2C) plays all by itself at night. At times it’s beautiful, yet at others it plays the most terrifying, devilish chords and frightening rhythms. The chandeliers flicker with phantom lights, and the temperature in the room rises and drops with no explanation as it plays. • He saw something terrible in the Baroness’ private study: a portal to the abyss itself! It was etched onto the floor, with candles all around, though he only caught a glimpse before he was shooed away. • The sound of a woman screaming and wailing can be heard coming from the Tower at different times. The door is always locked, and no one is allowed up there, but Durov is convinced that the Baroness has kidnapped maidens from the village and keeps them there until she can sacrifice them to her unholy masters. L2F - Kitchen This large room is a spotless example of a professional kitchen at work. The white tiles gleam, as do the countertops, and the three kitchen hands move with a coordinated and practiced ease. The smell of delicious pastry and rich food fill the air as the cooks go about their masterful work. The kitchen is well stocked and well sorted. A married couple share the role of head chef and they have a single assistant. Occasionally, other servants are pulled into the kitchen to chop vegetables or similar menial tasks.
162 CH 3 LESHEHOFF L2G - Servants’ Quarters You enter into what appears to be the servants’ quarters. A large wardrobe dominates one wall, leaving only enough room for the door to the House Stewards quarters to open. Faded and worn green carpet runs the length of the room, with four beds taking up most of the space. The majority of the servants live here, including Durov. There is little to find aside from commoner’s clothing, servant uniforms, 1d8 copper and silver pieces, and other household items such as candles, sewing equipment, etc. L2H - Second Floor Landing The staircase from the servants workroom (L2E) leads to this landing. Another staircase carpeted in luxurious red leads up to the third floor, while a door to the north opens up into the Dining Room, while a door to the east opens up onto the Gallery. Servant stations sit nearby, stacked with crockery or awaiting trays of food. This landing is intended only for the servants, as well as the masters of the house, as it leads to the Baroness and her husband’s private quarters. L2I - Gallery The Gallery is a large room that opens up onto the balconies that overlook the Grand Entrance Hall. Five statues and five paintings decorate the gallery, the works clearly acquired from a variety of masters over the ages, each illustrating a different era of Wreythian history or aspect of their mythology. A winged angel is the sole piece of religious art on display, though as it appears to be one of Isidora’s masterpieces, it was perhaps simply too beautiful to discard.
163 CH 3 LESHEHOFF Aside from the angel, the other statues depict mythological characters and folk heroes, such as Fey guardians of nature, Gallanicus the Wanderer, a phoenix, and the archetypal Fool with his mushrooms and second breakfast. The paintings depict scenes such as the building of The Cairn, the solstice festival in Raffenberg, and landscapes of Wolf Lake and the Drowned Basin. Furthermore, characters that have seen Czerina before (such as in the sea or in the mirror aboard the Sun’s Wrath) will recognize that Isidora carved the angel in Czerina’s likeness. A cruel piece of irony. Should characters examine the angel statue during the middle of the night, read the following: You feel the eyes of the angel upon you, and as you raise your gaze to meet those carved irises the statue blink. Before it could be written off as a trick of the light, the angel’s stone lips spread in a wicked grin revealing twin fangs. “I like your smell. Your blood. Come to me. Be mine,” a voice whispers, though it’s impossible to tell if it was in your ears or echoing somewhere within your skull. And then, between blinks, the statue has returned to normal. L2J - Dining Room This marvelous dining room is floored with a beautiful elvish parquet and features a massive, ornate dining table, masterfully carved serving stations, and a small stage with stringed instruments for musical accompaniment. Two crystal chandeliers, smaller cousins of those in the ballroom, hang above, providing excellent mood lighting throughout the room. The Baroness and her family used to dine here every evening, though with both children away at University it is rarely used outside of social functions anymore. Nonetheless, the servants keep the dining room clean, polished, and ready to host a meal at a moment’s notice. There are several pieces of crockery always kept in the dining room, such as water pitchers and serving platters, each made of solid silver. The pitchers are worth about 10 gold, and the serving platters are worth about 20 gold. L2K - Bedrooms A balcony serves as the hallway outside of these rooms. Opening the doors you find yourself staring into a large, noble’s bedroom, though the finery is faded, worn, and in places, broken. It’s a stark contrast to the opulence that fills all of the public facing rooms of the house. The northernmost bedroom seems to have belonged to a woman, as gowns hang in the wardrobe, and various beauty products can be found upon a small vanity. Several books are stacked upon the bed stand. The southernmost room appears to belong to a man, considering the clothing hanging in the wardrobe. The amount of hunting attire and the wolf pelt upon the floor suggest the owner fancied himself quite the huntsmen. The northernmost bedroom belonged to Yvette Tornheim, the eldest daughter. She’s taken after her mother in her love of knowledge and magic, though prefers to stay as far away from swords as possible. Horatiu Tornheim owns the southernmost room, and spends most of his time practicing archery, partying, and dreaming of his next hunt. An Investigation Check will reveal 1d8 lost gold pieces beneath various pieces of furniture, as well as old letters and mementos that the children have squirreled away, none of which reveal anything of note. Their clothes are worth between 5gp and 15gp per outfit, with 1d6 complete outfits available between the two of them. L2L - Guestroom
164 CH 3 LESHEHOFF This large suite contains a large bed and a broken table and two worn, stuffed chairs. The table and chairs were once as luxurious as could be, though time has not been kind to them, nor has it been kind to the worn carpet that lies beneath them. Any noble that offered this room to a guest would likely die of shame, as evidenced by the light layer of dust coating much of the room. The Tornheims haven’t had guests stay with them for decades, mostly due to lack of need, though pride has kept them from extending invitations, besides. The suites at the Copper Crown Tavern have become their ‘guest room’, a situation that suits Cival (the Copper Crown’s owner) just fine. L2M - Stefan’s Study This once ostentatious study has since fallen to a state of decay, the furniture worn and barely usable, the book shelves splintered, the carpet frayed and full of holes. Legal texts, economic treatises, and first-hand historical accounts fill the ancient bookshelves. The one piece of furniture not showing signs of age is a large, opulent desk that sits against the southernmost wall, several bottles of ink, a jar of quills, and stacks of parchment sitting atop it ready for use. Stefan uses this study daily, it serves as a private place to think and plan solutions to the various problems that Leshehoff faces. He leaves matters of security to his wife, and instead focuses on municipal and political matters. Feel free to have players roll for Investigation, though they won’t find any incriminating evidence unless they happen to find his plans for sewer system expansion to be particularly sinister. Otherwise, he has 12 gold pieces stored in a coin purse in his desk, an ornate letter opener worth 25 gold, and a small portrait of his wife that’s perhaps worth 50gp. Kept in the frame of the portrait are several spicy love letters that could potentially be used for blackmail, assuming one doesn’t mind pissing off a woman with a very large sword and the reputation for knowing how to use it. L2N - Ancestral Hallway Taking the stairway from the landing by the Dining Room you come up into a hallway that reminds you of a shrine. Funerary statues are displayed all around the hall, along with portraits of men and women who are clearing the Baroness’ ancestors. What truly catches your attention, however, are two plinths, each which feature a magnificent weapon. Upon one rests a greatsword of elvish make, the blade gleaming like silver, while upon the other rests a greataxe of dwarven make, the blade engraved with gold while precious jewels encrust the handle. The greatsword and greataxe are both +2 weapons. However, the plinths they rest upon are enchanted and the weapons cannot be picked up without a specific command word being spoken, or a caster passes a DC 18 spellcasting ability check with a Dispel Magic spell. Only the Baroness knows the command word. The various statues and paintings depict a lineage of Tornheim’s going back several centuries. L2O - Master Bed and Bath The ancestral hallway leads into the Baroness’ bedroom. The carpet is as frayed and decrepit as those found in the other bedrooms, the large chaise is practically falling apart, and the wardrobe by the door is as simple as those the servants use downstairs. The only truly fine furniture is the bed itself, a large canopy bed with fine sheets and soft furs, and a vanity with a large, expertly crafted silver mirror. A door to the west opens up into a bathroom with a colossal bronze tub, one that could easily fit four people comfortably. A door to the southeast opens up into the Baroness’ private study.
165 CH 3 LESHEHOFF There’s 1d20 gold pieces stored in the vanity, and several sets of Noble’s Attire for a man and woman worth 15gp each. Additionally, a jewelry box on the vanity contains various rings, necklaces, and broaches worth 300 gp combined. L2P - Baroness’ Study A DC 18 Thieves Tools Check will unlock the door to the Baroness’ study. Alternatively, the adventurer could try to swipe the key from the Baroness herself, with an opposed Sleight of Hand and Perception check. [textbook: The locked door swings open to reveal the Baroness’ study. There is no portal to the abyss, though there is a stone circle inscribed with magic runes and other arcane geometry sitting in the center of the room. A small altar with an open scroll atop it sits against the western wall between two massive bookshelves stuffed with arcane tomes and scrolls. A broken table shoved into the south east corner of the room holds a gigantic tome, almost three feet wide, five feet high, and a foot thick.] This room was once a reading room, but has since been converted into the equivalent of a wizard’s laboratory (remember, Ekaterina is an 8th level caster). The various books and scrolls in the shelves contain all the knowledge a character would need to become a wizard as well as to learn all of the spells that Ekaterina knows. A DC 14 Investigation Check will reveal correspondence between the Baroness and Sir Hajek of the Order of Blood. There are several messages all pertaining to meetings held at the crossroads to Raffenberg. The next meeting is to be held in a few nights. This is the evidence Tarasov is looking for. A DC 15 Arcana check will recognize that the arcane circle etched into the disk of stone is meant for contacting the Astral Plane. A more advanced version of the circle could be used to cast the Astral Projection spell, though for the moment it seems to be limited to simple divination and communication to the Astral Plane. What entities or areas of the Astral Plane in particular, however, remain to be seen. A DC 20 Arcana check will reveal that a ritual requiring 1,000 gold worth of diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, and rubies is necessary to activate the circle. As for the gigantic tome, it appears to be a mixture of a Bestiary Vocabulum for the various monsters that exist within Wreythau and an anthology of treatises on necromancy and demonology. Based on the notes in the margins, it seems the Baroness has been using this book to learn how to better fight the various threats that face her people. L2Q - The Tower The long, winding staircases leads to a thick wooden door bound with iron. The sound of wretched wailing echoes from within, the sound full of so much pain and suffering that listening to it is like sharpened gravel being dragged across your mind. As the door finally comes open you find yourself staring at an empty chamber. Two manacles rest upon the floor, long lengths of chain connecting them to the stone of the tower itself. An ancient, broken bed lies on its side, and a rotting carpet covers the floor. This is the tower where Iphigenia Tornheim was imprisoned by her fanatic of a father. If the characters investigate the room, they will discover that a rough diary has been scratched into the stone of the tower with iron nails taken from the broken bed. Many of them are too faint to make out, and others appear to be written entirely in musical notation. One section is still legible however: It has been so long that I have forgotten how old I am, or when it was that my fingers last touched the string of my harp or lira. Father won’t let me have them. He says that music is what seduced me down such a dark path and made me desire a sinful life, yet he is a fool. If it was not for music, I would
166 CH 3 LESHEHOFF surely have died from sorrow long ago. I still hear it within my mind, the sounds of the strings singing in the air. I’ve composed such beautiful music, all within my mind, and it is what holds my soul aloft. My only despair now is not that I shall never be free, but that it is my music was never given a chance to live… Iphigenia’s ghost haunts the tower, as well as the harp in the Grand Ballroom. Should a character proficient in a performance with a musical instrument take the time to learn any of her music, whether by taking a rubbing from the walls of her prison, or by listening to her ghost, they can free her spirit. A DC 12 Religion Check could reveal this information. Then, simply by playing some of Iphigenia’s music before a live audience, her spirit would finally be freed, and as thanks the character playing her music would immediately gain Expertise in their Performance Skill. This would be due to her spirit blessing the character with a portion of the musical knowledge she cultivated in the many long years of her captivity. L3 - Market Square The cobblestone road leads to a large town square filled to bristling with the stalls of various merchants and artisans. The surprisingly colorful cloth awnings are oddly beautiful beneath the perpetually storm-cast skies and the people bustle about as they pursue whatever business is at the front of their minds. Almost any form of goods or service can be found at the market square, though because of the Consortium’s price controls, licensing fees, and other predatory practices, the prices of all goods and services are inflated by 100%. In other words, the price you’d find in the Player’s Handbook (or any other book) would be doubled. The only exception to this are any potions or alchemical supplies, as the local Alchemist is currently being shunned. Special Event: Tarasov’s Request This event triggers whenever the characters cross the Market Square (perhaps on the way to the Copper Crown Tavern for lodgings) and introduces the character of High Inquisitor Viktor Tarasov and his quest. When the event triggers, read the following: As you move through the market square you hear a commotion coming from up ahead of you. A man’s voice, strident and commanding, rises above the din of the crowd, and as you turn the corner around a stall you see the source of the commotion. A large stall has been set up selling what appear to be various religious idols, texts, and other paraphernalia, all clearly influenced by some sort of Sun God. A man bleeding from a wound to the head has been thrown to the ground before the stall, and three armored figures stand above him, all wearing tabards depicting a blazing sun. This is, of course, the Inquisition of the Morning Lord, and the characters will recognize the symbol on the tabards from the beach where the other survivors were kidnapped. At the moment, however, the Inquisition is accosting a man they believe to be a heretic. He’s frequently questioned the craftsmanship of the idols and, unfortunately for him, the Inquisition decided to make an example of him. When they catch sight
167 CH 3 LESHEHOFF of the adventuring party, however, they’ll forget all about their previous victim. Tarasov, with all the expertise of a circus ringmaster, will shift the attention of the crowd towards the adventurers, and he will begin to publicly examine them following the Signs of Corruption chart in Chapter 1. He makes a show of it, using the crowd as a living fence to try and keep the characters trapped, all while his two cronies stand menacingly nearby, weapons at the ready. However, even if Tarasov finds “evidence” of corruption, he will declare that the characters are pure and beyond reproach to the crowd. This is to build credibility for the adventurers, and also to create something to “hold over” the adventurers. In essence, it’s also a threat, a hint that it is his judgement that will make them appear clean and nothing else. After this bit of theater, Tarasov will inform them that he will visit them later with a special request. Now, if any characters storm off or resist his little performance, Tarasov will simply return with a dozen Inquisitors and corner them at the Copper Crown Tavern and insist that they listen to him. In essence, Tarasov’s plan is this. Because the characters are from a foreign land they can be claimed to be impartial. Furthermore, if they are seen as having already passed his purity test, then both the faithful and the unfaithful will have to find them credible. That way, when the adventurers find evidence of the Baroness’ corruption it will be all the more difficult to refute. Of course, it doesn’t entirely matter if the unfaithful agree. He is mostly concerned about obliterating any sense of loyalty that the faithful have left when it comes to the Baroness and then overtaking the town in a night of righteous violence. In order for this to work, he still needs some sort of evidence, and though he’s a slippery bastard, he refuses to use falsified evidence. Spinning the truth about something is much different than inventing it outright, after all, and he has some standards. Thus he will ask the adventurers to go where he and his agents cannot and find any evidence of the Baroness consorting or conspiring with the forces of darkness. And, should the adventurers succeed, Tarasov promises that they will be paid in both gold and miracles. Up to 5000 gold will be offered, along with a miracle of their choice performed by the Abbot himself. Of course, if the character’s don’t cooperate, well, then there’s always the possibility that they might become the next target of Tarasov’s witch hunts, and they are considerably less protected than the Baroness. See The Barony Mansion (L2) above for more details on Tarasov’s Request. L4 - The Copper Crown Tavern Sitting across from the Market Square is a lively tavern decorated with colorful banners, the walls painted with bright images of flowers. The sound of music and laughter echo from inside, and the smell of delicious food wafts towards you. A large wooden sign decorated with bright copper hangs above the door, proudly declaring it the Copper Crown Tavern. The Copper Crown isn’t the only tavern in Leshehoff, but it is widely regarded as the best among them, and by a wide margin at that. The food is excellent and the beer, ale, wine, and spirits are imported straight from the breweries of Raffenburg, as well as from beyond the borders of Wreythau itself. Frequent sales allow even residents living hand to mouth a chance to grab a drink or a decent meal, and the gambling hall in the back room represents a hope of wealth, though by and large it’s farmers, vendors, artisans, and off duty Watch that frequent the tavern. Likewise, the rooms upstairs are rarely used, as the price is simply too steep compared to the various boarding houses that are scattered throughout the town. It’s not exactly a fancy place, favoring a more rustic feel, though it offers the best food, drink, and entertainment for all but the nobility. In large part, this is due to the owner of the Copper Crown, a retired member of the
168 CH 3 LESHEHOFF Merchant Consortium named Cival (Si - vall). Well known for her love of color and jewelry, Cival is a short, middle aged woman that’s managed to keep remarkably spry and fit. Her easy smile, quick wit, and willingness to listen have earned her many friends, and her sense of showmanship draw many through the doors of her tavern. What’s more, her connections among the Consortium have helped her secure lucrative discounts on imports and licensing, and the considerable wealth she acquired while an active member of the Consortium have gone a long way to making the Copper Crown the locally revered establishment that it is. Of course, there are those that don’t like the Copper Crown, namely those among the faithful of the Morning Lord, who look upon Cival’s Consortium connection as proof that Cival is a liar and a cheat, not to mention someone blinded by sinful, material comforts and desires. It’s not a very large population, but it is a very vocal one. In truth, Cival is none of these things. Well, at least not in the way they assume. As a former assassin, spy, and enforcer of the Outer Seas, Cival has witnessed first hand the ruthless nature of the Consortium, as well as the vast wealth they are able to acquire, and has come to hate all that the Consortium stands for with all of her being. It is now her life’s work to tear down the Consortium and rebuild it as something that works for the people, rather than for itself. The Copper Crown is simply a front and an alibi, as well as a base of operations hidden from the complacent gaze of the Consortium. She’s recruited an unquestionably loyal staff to help her, and has also begun to hide dissidents
169 CH 3 LESHEHOFF and enemies of the Consortium in the tunnels beneath her tavern. Thankfully for the Baroness, Cival’s goals have nothing to do with Leshehoff, but rather with the largest city in Wreythau, Raffenburg. Sitting close to the bay, Raffenburg is at the center of all Consortium business, and should the rule of Raffenburg fall to her and her allies, then there’s hope for the possibility of abolishing the Consortium all together. Unfortunately, the Consortium has begun to catch on that they have new enemies stirring up trouble, and so Cival has retreated from Raffenburg, using the Copper Crown as a secret place to organize their activities and prepare for their coming revolution. Quest: Cival’s Job Offer The arrival of the adventuring party presents a new opportunity for Cival, and one that she aims to take advantage. In essence, the adventurers are free agents that can be manipulated, used as scapegoats, or perhaps even recruited as new allies. No matter how it plays out, Cival knows that these foreigners will become powerful chess pieces for someone and she’s determined to use them to her advantage. Thankfully for her, Tarasov has already exposed his strategy, and she intends to exploit that. This event will trigger after Tarasov has made his demand that the adventurers find dirt on the Baroness. If Tarasov made his demand (disguised as a request) inside the Tavern, all the better. Either way, Cival has many eyes and ears, and Tarasov isn’t exactly subtle, whatever else he may be. So, after he’s made his demands, Cival will approach the party and offer them another piece of work. There’s something in the catacombs of the Abbey that she happens to want, and she promises to pay very well if the adventurers manage to retrieve it for her. Considering that they’re working for Tarasov, they’ll have access to the Abbey, and thus all they need is a little stealth and a little courage, and they can all get something that they want. See, long ago, the Inquisition captured and executed a famous Oracle, a woman who was said to be able to divine the future itself using powerful symbols etched upon a deck of cards, and as all of the Inquisitions victims are interred in the Catacombs beneath their Mausoleum of Saints, she suspects that the deck still survives. Magic, after all, is rarely harmed by simple fire, and the Inquisition trusts the holy specters of its Saints to guard and contain all of the “cursed” objects that have been interred with their previous owners. So, as long as the adventurers don’t mind digging through some bones, it should be a simple matter to recover the Oracle Deck and return it to her. After all, the ability to predict the future with some degree of accuracy will be a major boon for Cival’s revolution, though this isn’t something she’ll share with the adventurers for now. Instead, she’ll simply say that she wishes to recover this powerful artifact and uncover the secrets of how it works so that it can begin to benefit the people once again. In return, she’ll offer to pay them, as well as give them information about the Consortium. Furthermore, if the adventurers ask her about the other shipwreck survivors that the Inquisition took prisoner, Cival will inform them that the Catacombs also serve as a prison and a torture chamber for the Inquisition and that they’ll have to breach it if they hope to rescue their friends anyways.
170 CH 3 LESHEHOFF Tactics Cival’s only enemies are those who support the Consortium or otherwise threaten her revolution. Furthermore, unless Cival has the upper hand on her enemies, she will attempt to flee and create an opportunity to kill them later. In other words, she doesn’t fight fair, nor does she fight bravely. She strikes when there is advantage and flees when there is not. It’s that simple. Ambushes are her favorite modus operandi, particularly in coordination with allies and in terrain with lots of cover. L4A - Tavern As you step inside the Copper Crown you’re embraced by the warm glow of firelight, the smell of good food and drink, and the sounds of merrymaking and relaxation. Some of the patrons break off from their conversations to stare at the foreigners that have strode in amongst them, though most are too lost in their cups or distracted by the bards playing near the hearth. The main room of the Copper Crown can comfortably seat about 30 people, though is usually crammed full of more, at least once evening rolls around. This is likely where the adventurers meet Cival for the first time. In order to help get on the adventurers’ good side, Cival will call out to them as they enter, a broad smile on her face, and will offer them free room and board if they wish to stay at the Copper Crown. It’s a small investment if it helps earn their trust. Furthermore, if they mention anything about the Consortium or the Inquisition, Cival will be happy to tell the adventurers what she knows, though only in return for a favor (see Cival’s Job Offer above). When it comes to the Consortium, there really isn’t anything that Cival doesn’t know. She knows how they function, how they’re organized, and most importantly, that they’re intimately tied to Czerina’s court. In fact, the highest ranking members of the Consortium are vampires themselves, granted that gift by the Blood Queen herself. Thus, in order to get to the bottom of Cival Rank 1 —Medium human, Lawful Neutral Armor Class 15 (studded leather armor) Hit Points 150 (12d8 + 95) Speed — 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA —11 (+0) 18 (+4) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 18 (+4) Saving Throws Dex +7, Int +5 Skills Acrobatics +7, Deception +7, Persuasion +7, Perception +4, Stealth +10 Damage Resistances poison Senses passive Perception 14 Languages Thieves’ cant, Common, Sylvan Challenge 10 (5,900 XP) Assassinate. During its first turn, the assassin has advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn’t taken a turn. Any hit the assassin scores against a surprised creature is a critical hit. Evasion. If the assassin is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, the assassin instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails. Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Cival deals an extra 21 (6d6) damage when she hits a target with a weapon attack and she doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll. Hit and Run. Any target that Cival attacks can no longer make opportunity attacks against her until the start of her next turn. Legendary Resistance (1/Day). If Cival fails a saving throw, she —can choose to succeed instead. Actions Multiattack. Cival makes two shortsword attacks, two dagger attacks, or a dagger and shortsword attack. Shortsword + 1. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 5) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 24 (7d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Dagger. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 24 (7d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.. Legendary Actions Cival can take 3 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. Cival regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn. Move. Cival moves up to her speed without provoking opportunity attacks. Attack. Cival makes one attack. Note: Sneak Attack can apply. Hide. If there is sufficient cover and Cival is not next to an enemy, she may make a stealth check to hide.
171 CH 3 LESHEHOFF why the Gulthias Flowers were released in Port Haven, the adventurers will have to speak to the regional director for Leshehoff himself. As for the Inquisition, Cival knows about the catacombs, and she knows that Tarasov is trying to gather support to take over the town. She also knows that the inquisition does possess powerful divine magic, though that’s about all. L4B - Gambling Hall The backroom of the Copper Crown Tavern is a large gambling hall full of people betting copper, silver, and gold on the whims of fate, be it a hand of cards, the roll of dice, or other games of chance. And, beside a corkboard, sits a bookie, ready to take bets on a variety of events or competitions. Each table is staffed by a man or woman wearing a small, copper circlet upon their head, the symbol of their employment at the tavern. Another man and woman stand by the door leading into the room, heavy cudgels upon their belt. The gambling hall offers a variety of ways to lose money. And, sometimes, win money, but the majority walk away with empty pockets and a mind filled with addicting fantasies of victory. Primarily, the services the gambling hall offers is split into two groups: games of chance, and bets with the bookie. Feel free to invent new games of chance, though the following rules are presented for dice, three dragon ante/poker, and roulette. Dice: Characters may make an Intelligence Check to determine the best odds. This will determine the difficulty they need to beat in order to win money. Characters can bet up to ten gold, with a win resulting in a payout of 2 to 1. So, if a character bets 2 gold and wins, they walk away with 4 gold total (double the original bet). Intelligence Check Roll Needed (2d6) Less than 10 10-12 12 9-12 14 8-12 16 7-12 18 5-12 20 3-12 Cards: Characters playing Three Dragon Ante or Poker use the following rules. • There are at least 3 opponents. • First, players place bets, then make Intelligence checks. An Intelligence Check DC 14 will help a character determine the odds and will roll with advantage. • Secondly, players may fold or increase bets and make either an insight check or a deception check. An Insight Check DC 16 will give the adventurer advantage on their roll. A Deception Check DC 16 will give opponents disadvantage on their roll. • Finally, the players each roll 1d20 (plus advantage or disadvantage), the highest roll winning the collective pot. Roulette: Players will roll a d20. They can bet on evens or odds with a payout of 2 to 1. So, betting 2 gold on Odds, and winning, would result in the character walking away with 4 gold (double the original bet). Or, the character could bet on a specific number, with a payout of 10 to 1, so betting 2 gold on rolling a 13, and winning, would result in a win of 20 gold (ten times the bet). The bookie: The Adventurers could also arrange contests of skill and then place bets accordingly. Suggested contests: • Drinking Games: (constitution saves, DCs increasing by 3 each drink) • Boxing/Unarmed Fighting (to knockout or surrender) • Dueling (to first blood or half health) • Dragonchess (opposed Intelligence rolls)
172 CH 3 LESHEHOFF • or Archery/Knife Throwing (highest attack roll wins). Adventurers could also use Persuasion Checks to shift the betting odds one way or another (from 2 to 1 all the way to 10 to 1, at the DMs discretion). To make things even more interesting, have the bookie suggest NPCs for the adventurers to challenge. For instance, Cival for Knife Throwing, the Baron Consort for Dueling, The Baroness for Dragonchess, a Watch soldier with Tavern Brawler for Boxing, etc. L4C - Kitchen The kitchen is filled with all manner of good food and delicious ingredients, a massive stone oven dominating most of the space. A large trapdoor sits in the center of the floor, leading down to what must be a storage cellar. There’s always at least one cook at work in the kitchen. Occasionally, servers will open the trapdoor to grab fresh barrels of ale or other supplies. L4D - The Lodgings The staircase from the tavern leads up to a well appointed landing with a massive bearskin rug and two couches. A table with a large candle provides illumination, and potted plants bring a bit of life to the room. A long hallway leads to various rooms for lodging. The largest contain plush wolf fur rugs, wardrobes, planters, and giant canopy beds. The others contain much the same, but with dressers and smaller beds. The landing is essentially a common area, good for socializing during the day or plotting at night when the tavern is closed. And, assuming the adventurers accepted Cival’s offer of free room and board, they have their pick of the rooms. There are no other guests. L4E - Storage Room The trap door from the kitchen leads down to a massive storage room. Row after row of shelves are packed full of barrels of ale, cases of wine and spirits, and other supplies. Several piles of rodent poison have been carefully placed around this underground warehouse, ensuring there’s nothing to fear from rats in the basement. This room contains all the stock that the tavern needs, as well as quite a bit more. Cival has been building up a stockpile of various supplies that might be needed for the eventual Revolution of Raffenberg over the years, and plans to sell the tavern and transport this stockpile to Raffernburg in a caravan once the time has come. In the meantime, however, buying excessive supplies has helped her smuggle allies into the gates of Leshehoff and into the basement of the Copper Crown. A DC 14 Investigation Check will reveal that, in addition to the amount of supplies being truly excessive, there are quite a few strange items amongst them, such as adventurer’s packs, alchemical supplies, crowbars, tools, and large cooking pots. A DC 16 Investigation Check will reveal that there is a secret door in the northeast corner of the room, hidden behind a large beer barrel. This leads to L4F. L4F - Hidden Quarters The false wall opens up into a large tunnel that has been dug out of the dirt and rock beneath the tavern. Support beams arch overhead, the tunnel leading towards a soft glow shining around a corner up ahead. As you round the corner you find yourself facing a large chamber that looks as though it’s been converted into a shelter for several people. Beds, a communal table, water barrels, and privies have all been set up around the cavern, with another tunnel leading on into another chamber.
173 CH 3 LESHEHOFF This cavern is where Cival has been hiding her allies, the various revolutionaries that the Consortium have named dissidents and troublemakers and posted bounties for. Essentially, these are people that have been recruiting and drumming up support among the population of Raffenberg, as well as elsewhere in the kingdom, and while others have been caught or killed, Cival has managed to smuggle about a dozen out of the city and shelter them here while they prepare for the final steps of their plan. If the adventurers confront the people in the cavern, a DC 15 Persuasion Check will convince the fugitives to hear the adventurers out. If the adventurers confess that they are also enemies of the Consortium, then the fugitives will relax, but ask them to talk to Cival. Otherwise, if the adventurers try to run, the fugitives will let them go and simply rely upon Cival to tie up this new loose end. In the event of combat, the fugitives are essentially Commoners. The real danger is making Cival an enemy. L4G - Hidden Workshop The tunnel leading from the Hidden Quarters opens up into another cavern, this one looking like a cross between an armory and an alchemist’s lab. Crates of weapons line the north wall, barrels of alchemical ingredients line the east wall, and a large lab sits to the south, bubbling liquids of various colors running through tubes and glass beakers. This workshop is where Civals’ coconspirators prepare for the upcoming revolution, preparing arms and armor, as well as bottles of alchemist’s fire, various poisons, and explosives. The adventurers are able to find several dozen: crossbows, axes, swords, daggers, and maces. There are about 400 crossbow bolts, several dozen sets of leather armor, a dozen sets of chainmail, and a dozen bottles of alchemist fire ready. Characters with proficiency in poisoner’s kits can also harvest 3 doses of modified Torpor. L5 - Merchant Consortium Outpost This large townhouse stands near a massive warehouse. Workers swarm in and out of the warehouse while a group of men and women stand around nearby, clad in simple armor, heavy clubs and sharp daggers hanging from their belts. An ornate, cast iron sign hangs above a grand stone entranceway, proclaiming the building as the Leshehoff Merchant Consortium. Pasted beside the entryway are dozens of bounty flyers, all depicting various men and women that have been labeled as public menaces, liars, arsonists, and murderers. This is the local Consortium administrative and trade office. As has been discussed previously, the Consortium uses different economic controls in order to dominate trade and make all other businesses subordinate to them. They control the supply chain, get a cut of everything produced, and have a monopoly on transportation and mail, as well as regional outposts like this, which are essential to performing all of these different functions. In essence, each outpost is like a great, beating heart that keeps the blood of the Wreythian economy flowing through the region. The warehouse stores all of the various goods and produce, with regular caravans coming and going to get everything distributed as it needs to. Aside from the toughs providing security and a few overseers, all of the warehouse workers are simply local hired hands rather than actual members of the Consortium. The offices, however, are exclusively staffed with members of the Consortium, and aside from the security, all of the officials reside inside the building. Modified Torpor Adventuring gear, poison —(contact) 600 gp. A creature subjected to this poison must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 4d6 hours. The poisoned creature is incapacitated. Source: DMG, page 258
174 CH 3 LESHEHOFF As for the bounty notices, these are for the revolutionaries that Cival is allied with, several of whom she is hiding beneath the Copper Crown. The Consortium, of course, does not know this. There are at least 8 Consortium Bravos and 2 Consortium Hitters working security, split between the inside and outside of the building. Typically, the 2 Hitters can be found lounging around the Dining Hall (L5D). L5A - Administration Hall The ornate double doors to the building open up into a palatial front hallway. An utterly massive painting runs down the center of the room, portraying a grand feast, and to your shock, you see that your likeness has been worked into the painting beside that of a statuesque woman with raven black hair, red eyes, and a golden crown resting upon her brow. You are depicted as loyal servant advisors to what is no doubt the Blood Queen herself. Nevertheless, as you tear your eyes away from the painting you see that to your
175 CH 3 LESHEHOFF left and right are massive storage lockers decorated in gold, as well as desks staffed by officious looking men and women. Golden statues of the queen in the painting sit at either end of the hall, staring down upon you. Lastly, a single door to the north leads further into the building. The administration hall is built like a shrine. All who walk inside are meant to be awed and cowed by the vast wealth of the Consortium and the power of the Queen to whom it is devoted. If the characters have interacted with Czerina (such as in the sea, in the mirror aboard The Sun’s Wrath, or the statue in the Barony Mansion) then they will, of course, recognize her in the painting and the statues. Speaking of the artwork in the hall, the giant 40 foot, beyond life-sized painting is one of Isidora’s masterpieces and happens to be enchanted so that all who gaze upon it will find that their likeness is part of the painting. This is to remind the viewer that they are part of Czerina’s domain, as well as to perhaps beguile them with a vision of tremendous wealth and plenty, as the feast is indeed fit for a Queen. The statues are meant to work in tandem with this effect, their opulence and towering stature intended to make all those in the hall feel as though they are lesser, and yet might find a token of benevolence from such an exalted figure. In many ways it is a mockery of a temple with Czerina as the central Goddess. As for the actual function of the hall, the clerks handle all licensing, fee processing, and other bureaucratic/corporate-esque functions. Moreover, they also handle merchant transactions. They have catalogues that list all the merchandise that fill their opulent storage lockers, their warehouse, and that can be ordered from Raffenburg, Inbarev, or from the Outer Seas. The clerks are meant to handle almost all the business that comes inside, though in the case of major transactions, complaints, or perhaps questions about Gulthias Flowers, they are able to set up an appointment with the director of the Leshehoff regional outpost. All meetings of that sort are held upstairs. Aside from the merchandise (which can be ad libbed or you could throw the PHB at your players), the clerks have 500 copper, 100 silver, and 100 gold stored in their desks (each). L5B - Pantry The door opens up into a pantry filled with all manner of fish, meat, fruits, vegetables, grains, and other ingredients. Clearly, eating like the nobility is one of the perks of being a member of the Consortium. As the Outpost has to feed all their security, clerks, and other officers in residence, the pantry is very well stocked. L5C - Kitchen A well appointed kitchen lies behind this door. A large oven with a stovetop, a cabinet, and two work stations fill most of the room, the beginnings of a feast already laid out in preparation. The kitchen is staffed by a head chef and two to three assistants, all locals that have been hired on as servants. They typically work twelve hour days, with the kitchen left unlocked should any member of the Consortium get peckish at night. L5D - Dining Room A large, extravagant dining table fills most of the room, with a few overstuffed couches, chairs, and end tables sitting around the outside of the room. A large hearth merily blazes away, filling the room with a pleasant heat that would make it quite a comfortable place to lounge and socialize. As mentioned previously, the Dining Room is where all of the consortium officials that live in residence eat, and where quite a few socialize. The Consortium Hitters that work
176 CH 3 LESHEHOFF security typically spend time in this room, as well as some of the Bravos, particularly if the regional director is holding a meeting. L5E - The Residence This long hallway leads to the bedrooms of the Consortium officials and clerks that live inside the outpost. Each bedroom contains a bed fit for royalty, along with a small dresser and potted flowers. The rooms at the end of the hall are the largest, and also contain an ornate bedside table. During the day the rooms are mostly empty, though occasionally a clerk or official will sneak off to steal a nap when they can. At night, the rooms are filled with the snoring, slumbering forms of the officials and clerks. The two rooms at the end of the hall are reserved for one Consortium Lieutenant and one Consortium Mage. However, as the Lieutenant and the Mage are high ranking officials, it’s possible that they might be off performing some duty or other (such as hunting bounties), or otherwise taking a brief leave of absence. Consider the level of the adventurers when deciding whether or not to include them. Each room contains 1d10 silver coins and 1d10 gold coins. Alternatively, the room could contain 1d20 gold worth of jewelry. L5F - Grand Meeting Room An expansive, ornate table fills the room, the polished surface stretching like a gleaming field of battle between two chairs placed at the heads of the table. Four overstuffed chairs and matching end tables sit at the corners of the room, no doubt intended for bodyguards or aides to sit nearby as negotiations are held. The Grand Meeting Room is where the regional director conducts the most important business, such as negotiating with the Baroness, nobles, or the richest merchants of Leshehoff. Should the adventurers convince the clerks that a meeting with the regional director is necessary (such as by inquiring about the Gulthias Flowers, or the less than savory practices of the Outer Seas), then the meeting would be held here. L5G - Regional Director’s Office An imposing desk of dark wood embossed in gold faces the door, a leather chair sitting behind it while a lavish rug sits beneath its feet. A grand painting of a fantastical castle sits behind the desk, the monument looking like the cross between a cathedral and a fortress, the architecture far beyond anything that you could imagine actually existing. As your eyes continue to take in the room, you notice four elvish lanterns sitting in the corners of the room, flooding it with warm light that gently reflects off the faces of two large golden statues that sit to either side of the desk. As you step further into the room, you notice something that sends a chill through your heart, however: an ornate coffin lies hidden between the painting and the desk. The painting is another of Isidora’s creations and depicts Czerina’s infamous castle, The Cairn. Of course, the most fascinating thing in the room is the Regional Director’s coffin. As one of the highest ranking members of the Consortium, the regional director was blessed with some of Czerina’s blood and was turned into a lesser vampire. This happens to all the highest ranking members of the Consortium, and though Czerina is otherwise very hands off, as they are her servants, she is nonetheless culpable for their economic atrocities. Regardless, the regional director, Vasili Radulesc has existed for over 247 years and was turned about 200 years ago. He isn’t a very imposing man for a creature of the night, though the grey sprinkled into his well kept hair and beard only seem to emphasize the weight of the ages that resides in his red-eyed gaze. He stands at about 5’5”, and wears elegantly tailored clothes of dark velvet. As someone who was able to rise
177 CH 3 LESHEHOFF through the ranks of the Consortium, Vasili is incredibly cunning and shrewd, and is devoted to only two things: his own benefit and that of the Consortium. Tactics: Regional Director Radelesc also keeps an Armored Tiger in his office. This is both a pet and a defensive measure. He lets the tiger take the brunt of any fight while he attempts to retreat so that he can gather reinforcements. Of course, if the Consortium Bravos, Hitters, and other staff have already been killed or incapacitated, then he will either go find the Consortium Lieutenant and Consortium Mage and later attack the characters with their help, OR he will go running to the Baroness, demanding that she provide him with a squad of Watch Soldier to go and apprehend the criminals that have attacked him. If cornered and unable to escape with Spider Climb, he will attempt to bargain, though if that fails, he will fight to the death. Negotiating with Radulesc: If the adventurers attempt to negotiate with Radulesc, such as for information about the Gulthias Flowers, he will prove to be a very difficult social adversary. In his mind, the adventurers have no authority, and no business interfering with the Consortium’s affairs, though he will listen to what they have to say. After all, the Consortium is having its own issues, and if he deems that the adventurers could be useful to him then he will make them a deal: he will allow them to look at the Consortium’s shipping ledgers, but ONLY if they can capture some of the bounties and dig up more information about the dissidents and troublemakers allies. So, in essence, either the adventurers uncover that Cival is plotting a revolution, or he won’t cooperate with them. Instead, he’d try to cheat them out of a few thousand gold for a peek at the wrong documents. A DC 16 Insight Check would reveal the con, however, as well as the fact that Radalesc isn’t willing to budge without some of the bounties and information on their allies. Whether or not that information is TRUE, however, is another matter. Sure, eventually, falsified information would prove to be useless and would earn the adventurers an enemy, but in the short term it would be impossible for the information to be verified and this could earn the adventurers a look at the actual shipping Vasili Radulesc —Medium undead, neutral evil Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 93 (11d8 + 44) Speed — 30 ft.. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA —16 (+3) 16 (+3) 18 (+4) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 18 (+4) Saving Throws Dex +6, Wis +5 Skills Insight +6, Perception +6, Persuasion +9, Stealth +6 Damage Resistances necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16 Languages Common, Infernal Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Regeneration. The vampire regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point and isn’t in sunlight or running water. If the vampire takes radiant damage or damage from holy water, this trait doesn’t function at the start of the vampire’s next turn. Spider Climb. The vampire can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. Vampire Weaknesses. The vampire has the following flaws: Forbiddance. The vampire can’t enter a residence without an invitation from one of the occupants. Harmed by Running Water. The vampire takes 20 acid damage when it ends its turn in running water. Stake to the Heart. The vampire is destroyed if a piercing weapon made of wood is driven into its heart while it is incapacitated in its resting place. Sunlight Hypersensitivity. The vampire takes 20 radiant damage when it starts its turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, it has —disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks. Actions Multiattack. The vampire makes two attacks, only one of which can be a bite attack. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one willing creature, or a creature that is grappled by the vampire, incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic damage that bypasses resistance. The target’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken, and the vampire regains hit points equal to that amount. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) slashing damage. Instead of dealing damage, the vampire can grapple the target (escape DC 13).
178 CH 3 LESHEHOFF documents. An opposed Deception/Insight check could sell Radalesc on the veracity of falsified information, providing they actually had at least one of the bounties. The Mystery of the Gulthias Flowers: Radalesc has a copy of the secret shipping documents that discuss the Gulthias Flowers. It seems that the Consortium was given the flowers by none other than Beleroth Haar an Thell, the Queen’s consort and the notorious Collector of Taxes. He provided crates of the flowers from the Queen’s personal gardens, and issued very specific orders on how to transport them as well as where, when, and how they should be distributed. It was clearly premeditated, though for what purpose remains a mystery. Thankfully, however, if the gossip is true, the Tax Collector will be arriving in Leshehoff any day now. L6 - Alchemist’s Shop In the sprawling northeastern district of the town sits a humble townhouse with a sign depicting a large cauldron hanging above the door. The windows are almost entirely blackened by soot, and the wooden door appears as though it was recently battered down before being rehung in the frame by a half-skilled carpenter on the cheap. This shop was previously owned by Marian and Sybilla Valborg, both skilled alchemists and some of the very few followers of the Old Faith still living in Leshehoff. Unfortunately, these sympathies for the worship of something besides the Morning Lord was tipped off to the Inquisition, and so Marian was burned at the stake, a sacrifice for the sake of his family. At his behest, Sybilla offered testimony that sealed Marian’s fate, though it might all be for naught, as the original cause of their secret being outed still exists: a corrupted house fey that calls itself Mr. Splinter. Mr. Splinter weasled its way in the Alchemist’s Shop after the occupants of its last home were burned at the stake, and quickly began to appear before the Valborg’s daughter as a “harmless companion”. In response, Marian and Sybilla began to conduct a lengthy banishment to get rid of Mr. Splinter, though unfortunately they weren’t secretive enough about what they were doing and a sniveling rat of a neighbor informed upon them. So now Marian has been burnt alive and Sybilla is left to deal with the shop, their daughter, and most importantly, Mr. Splinter. Should the adventurers come to the shop, perhaps looking to buy Healing Potions, Alchemist’s Fire, or other alchemical supplies, then they will encounter Mr. Splinter by proxy. The daughter, Tabea, will make many disturbing comments while Sybilla tries to conduct transactions. Tabea will say things like, “Mr. Splinter says your eyes would look better with needles in them,” “Mr. Splinter says your skin would make a good rug,” or “No, I don’t want to splash acid on them, that’s mean, Mr. Splinter!” A DC 14 Perception or Investigation Check will reveal that, on the wooden ceiling of the shop, is the faint outline of a humanoid creature stained into the wood, and when not looking directly at it, it happens to be moving. A DC 14 Arcana Check will reveal that Mr. Splinter is some sort of disembodied, harmful spirit. Detect Good and Evil will identify it as a Fey. Sybilla will attempt to laugh off what her daughter says, and make comments about how inventive children’s minds can be, though a DC 13 Insight Check will reveal that this is simply a cover, and that Sybilla is deeply afraid. If they question her, she will tell them the tale of how her husband died and ask them for their help. All of her actions are being watched, nevermind that the Inquisition could simply decide to come after her at any moment, so she can’t finish the banishment ritual to get rid of Mr. Splinter without attracting attention and making her daughter an Orphan. Essentially, the adventurers have a few options. If they’ve already been to Caeltos Village then they could try and smuggle Sybilla and Tabea out of Town to live with the Beastfolk.
179 CH 3 LESHEHOFF As a follower of the Old Faith, Sybilla has met the Beastfolk before and interacted with them peacefully through trade, worship, and exchange of knowledge. However, she won’t wish to endanger them, and so won’t suggest this as an option unless the adventurers mention they’ve also had peaceful contact with the Beastfolk. Alternatively, the adventurers could try to perform the banishment ritual themselves. First, they would need to purchase 50 gold worth of onyx, two pounds of sea salt (about 10 gold), several pounds of cedar chips (5 gold), and a barrel of mead (75 gold). The onyx would have to be crushed until it was the consistency of sand and mixed with the salt. Then, the cedar chips would have to be ground to a pulp and mixed with the onyx and salt. Finally, this mixture of cedar, onyx, and salt would have to be combined with the mead beneath the light of the full moon while an incantation was read. Once this was done, the adventurers would need to bring the mead inside the Alchemist’s Shop and convince Mr. Splinter to drink some. Feel free to have fun with this. Have Mr. Splinter manifests as a horrible parody of a skeleton made of splintered pieces of wood and interact with the adventurers. Mr. Splinter would attempt to bargain with the adventurers, saying it will only drink their offering of mead if they do horrible things to themselves or others, and the adventurers will then have to negotiate the corrupted Fey down to something more reasonable. If the adventurers pass several persuasion checks, threaten to burn down the building, or otherwise convince Mr. Splinter that they only wish to pay homage to it, then it will agree to drink the mead. If the adventurers slip up and reveal that the mead is meant to banish Mr. Splinter, however, then it will refuse to talk to them any longer and, at that point, arson is the only avenue left. Once Mr. Splinter drinks the mead it will be banished immediately, dissolving into wisps of black smoke. Burning the shop down will also get rid of Mr. Splinter...at least for Sybilla and Tabea. In truth, it would just leave and find a new family to torment. And, as for Sybilla and Tabea, well, without a home or a way to make a living, things would look rather grim. 200 gold could buy them passage to Raffenburg, however, and another 200 gold could allow them to start afresh. Or, should the adventurers convince the Baroness to hire a personal Alchemist, that could work, too. Allow the players to get creative. L7 - The Blacksmiths’ Guild The local smithery is a massive structure that’s almost on an industrial scale. Dozens of smiths must work together to produce all of the arms, armor, and various metalwork that Leshehoff needs to function. However, as you approach the building, you see that only one forge is lit, and the sounds of deep, heavy sobs echo out from within. The founder of the Leshehoff Blacksmiths’ Guild is a dwarven man by the name of Torvald Stonecask. A truly ancient dwarf, Torvald survived the massacre of the Silver Graves, managing to flee with his husband (a brewer), though after it was clear that there was no escape from the kingdom they settled in Leshehoff. Torvald founded the guild, consolidating all the smiths in town, and taught his secrets to those smiths who were worthy. Centuries later, Torvald still mourns the fall of Barrukhirrim (which became the Silver Graves) and every year, on the anniversary of its fall, the guild closes and Torvald works out his grief by crafting fantastic metalworks to honor the fallen. When the adventurers approach the smithery, only Torvald is inside. He’s happy to let them in and listen to what they need, though tears drip down his cheeks the entire time. If they ask him what’s wrong, he will recount in hugely dramatic detail the fall of his people, describing great battles against hordes of undead, the vicious knights of the Order of Blood, and horribly monstrosities crafted from living flesh. He witnessed it first hand, though he didn’t fight in the battles himself. Instead, he was part of a small group that managed to flee, while the majority of the dwarven kingdom was trapped inside their mountain home.
180 CH 3 LESHEHOFF What’s more, Torvald will recount the wonders inside Barrukhirrim, the great pillared halls, the tremendous forge that sits at the heart of the mountain, the unique tools that they alone invented, the magnificent structure that the mountain itself had become. He’s clearly lost, at least a little bit, in the past. He beseeches the adventurers to visit the Silver Graves some day, and asks them to carry an offering there for him: a small, yet incredibly intricate metal relief of his family tree. Should they promise to do this, he offers to craft them whatever they want, though it will take him a week to fill their order. L8 - Tailor’s Shop This well appointed brick townhouse sits in the wealthy, western district of the town. Curtains made of a beautifully embroidered fabric are firmly drawn across the windows, only a faint light shining from the second story windows where the family must live. The sign above the door proclaims the building the Boritresc Couturier, though based on the dust that’s been allowed to gather on the window displays, it looks as though the tailor’s shop hasn’t been open for at least a few weeks. This is Madalina’s tailor shop, though she’s chosen to give it an upscale twist. As the best tailor in town she’s certainly earned that right, though she’s far from the best in the kingdom. Regardless, gossip has spread throughout town about her prolonged absence. Certainly no one would expect her to be right back to work after having given birth, but to entirely close the shop? To kick out all of her apprentices, and not even have her husband, Valter, run the business in her absence? Well, that is more than strange, and talk is buzzing through town about what’s actually happened to her. In truth, Madalina and her husband had no choice but to retreat from the public eye. Madalina’s child has been struck by the Beastfolk curse, and both are terrified that anyone will find out. They love their child, no matter how it appears, and desperately wish there was a way to raise it in safety and peace. Should the Inquisition find out, they would massacre the whole family, and almost every person in town would cheer as they watched the flames. The Beastfolk are seen as literal demons, looked upon with hatred, revulsion, and fear, as are all who are associated with them. If the adventurers investigate Madalina’s disappearance, their status as foreigners will grant them entrance into the couples confidence. Valter and Madalina will ask the players to find an enchanter or wizard that could disguise their child’s appearance, or to find them a safe place to live. Should the adventurers suggest running away to live with the Beastfolk, the Boritresc’s will agree, their love for their child overriding their prejudice, though it won’t be quite that easy. They’ll have to be smuggled out of the city, as both the Inquisition and the Watch have their eyes peeled for them. The Watch suspects that Valter murdered his wife, whereas the Inquisition has heard rumors and believes that mystery equates to guilt, and has placed a lookout on the Boritresc’s home. L9 - The Abbey of St. Zharkov Long ago, when Temelloth was first released from its imprisonment and torture, molded by Czerina’s hand into a hateful reflection of the faith that harmed her in life, he took the form of a prophet known as Zharkov. In this guise the mad angel was able to build the foundation of the Church of the Morning Lord. In the form of a righteous angel he wrought havoc, and then as Zharkov he preached and proselytized, using the fire and wrath of the angel as justification for his twisted beliefs. When it came time for Zharkov to die, Temelloth founded the Abbey and became its Abbot, forever dwelling in the shadow of the false prophet of the Church. In the centuries since, the Abbot has existed as a living saint, lost in its own mad musings as its acolytes have grown in number, several becoming saints in their own right within the church. Their graves lie in the mausoleum above the Catacombs, guardians against the unholy until the end of time. As for the Abbey
181 CH 3 LESHEHOFF itself, it has become the heart of the Inquisition. All new inquisitorial acolytes are trained there, the most holy relics stored there, and all of the faithful must make a pilgrimage to visit its Chapel. The mighty Cathedral of Raffenburg and the stout shrine of Inbarev also stand as their own bastions of the Morning Lord, though the Abbey is where it all began. Approaching the Abbey The abbey is surrounded by a low, ten foot wall of stone. Wooden guard towers have been placed strategically to give a decent view of the wall at all times, though in the event of a siege, the Abbey itself would become the main defence. Instead, the wall is mainly intended to keep the grounds of the Abbey isolated, relying upon the watchtowers to spot any intruders and sound the alarm if needed. There is a single gate leading in and out of the grounds, and a single road that leads to Leshehoff, as well as further south towards Inbarev. Approaching the gates of the Abbey, the characters will be challenged by two Inquisitors standing watch on the gate towers. They will ask the characters what their business is, and will permit entry upon the following conditions: • The characters are pilgrims who have come to visit the chapel. A DC 14 Religion Check will allow the characters to answer the Inquisitors’ questions and be allowed entry, though they will only be allowed inside for mass (aka, under heavy supervision and escorted to and from chapel, L9A). They are allowed to camp outside the walls until then if they wish. • The characters are working for Tarasov. In that case, they will be allowed to visit the Library (L9G) or the Armory (L9E), but will be under light escort the whole time. • The characters succeed a DC 20 Deception check with a plausible lie. Hint: disguises might help. Of course, the characters could also try and sneak over the walls of the Abbey, an easy task for a skilled climber or a person with some rope and a grappling hook. A good distraction could provide Advantage on Stealth Checks to characters sneaking over the wall. Each character would have to succeed an opposed stealth check or risk getting spotted. Inquisitors only have +3 to Perception Checks, though the towers give them a great field of view which grants them Advantage on perception checks. Any character found inside the grounds of the Abbey without an escort or a proper disguise would be immediately detained and interrogated as to their purpose. Barring another excellent Deception check, use of magic, or some other clever scheme, the adventurers would likely be taken to see Tarasov, or if they resist, then a fight would break out and the alarm would likely sound. L9A - The Chapel Stepping through the ornate doors of the Abbey you come into the Chapel, a magnificent monument to religious devotion. Vaulted ceilings rise almost fifty feet above you, with massive stained glass windows illuminated by oil lamps shining colorful cascades of light down upon granite floors inlaid with shining brass. Rows of large wooden pews lead up to an enormous altar, with a 30 foot tall golden statue of St. Zharkov standing behind it. Four small rooms are attached to the Chapel, the southernmost rooms used for storage of sacred, ritual paraphernalia whereas the northernmost are penance chambers. The Chapel is the heart of the Abbey and is almost always in use. Only in the very dead of night can a moment of solitude truly be found there, though even then the penance chambers are usually occupied by some zealot obsessed with the state of their putrid soul. Furthermore, votive candles and incense are regularly kept lit throughout the day and night, and acolytes are constantly cleaning, polishing, and repairing the magnificent ornamentation of the Chapel. The storage rooms contain divine spell components, including incense, diamonds, and
182 CH 3 LESHEHOFF
183 CH 3 LESHEHOFF the like, though the most expensive components are kept in the Theurgy Room (L9H). The penance chambers contain kneeling pews, as well as racks of whips, batons, and scourges for self-flagellation. The floor is stained with old blood, and the smell of sweat lingers in the air. Two doors lead out of the chapel, the western door leading to the Training Hall (L9D) while the eastern door leads to the Dormitories, dining room, and kitchen (L9B). However, hidden behind the statue of St. Zharkov is another door, a secret entrance (marked in red) that leads down to the chambers of the Abbot itself (L9K - M). See The Library (L9G) for more information on how to access the hidden chambers. L9B - The Dormitories The eastern door from the Chapel leads into a hallway lined with several doors, one leading to the staircase going up to the second floor, the others to the cells belonging to the highest ranking inquisitors, such as the Arms Master, Head Scribe, Master of Theurgy, and Master of Catechisms. Another door leads to the privy, as well as out to the Stables (L9C). At the end of the hallway is a door leading into the dining room, and kitchen. The lower floor is reserved for the higher ranking members of the clergy, their offices granting them the privacy of a cell. Each cell contains small idols of the Morning Lord and the Saints, each worth 1d10 gold, as well as various religious texts. Otherwise, acolytes swarm up and down the hallway, heading to and from the upper dormitories, the dining hall, the privy, or out to the stable. The utter lack of privacy is, of course, by design. L9C - The Stable A covered walkway blanketed in hay leads from the privy out to the stables. The smell of fresh hay and animal manure fills the stables, along with the soft snuffling and snorting of goats, sheep, and warhorses. If you listen carefully, the scrabbling of rat claws echo down from the rafters. The Stable is, perhaps ironically, one of the most dangerous places in the abbey. The twisted animals of Wreythau are all carnivorous (or at least omnivorous), meaning at least a dozen acolytes are mauled to death every year by the various farm animals, warhorses, or packs of rats. See Encounters in Wreythau in Chapter 1 for some sample stat blocks. Otherwise, feel free to use stat blocks of any beast, monstrosity, swarm, or aberration (up to CR3) from your favorite book of monsters, but reflavored as horribly warped farm animals. L9D - Training Hall The east door leading from the Chapel opens up into a large chamber that clearly serves as some sort of training hall. Practice dummies and targets of various descriptions line the walls, and scorch marks and bloodstains cover the stone floors, the smell of ash and spilled bowels hanging faintly in the air. A circular staircase leads up to the second floor, and a door in the far eastern wall leads to another chamber. Combat training with access to healing magic is a horrible thing. Acolytes and inquisitors are regularly dismembered, disemboweled, burnt, savaged, and otherwise maimed before being healed and sent back out to do it again. Occasionally deaths occur, though watchful clerics keep them to a minimum, standing by with healing magic for most drills and exercises. The Inquisition molds some of the most fanatical soldiers numbed towards violence that Wreythau has ever seen outside of the Order of Blood itself. Drills and exercises are conducted during the day, with about a dozen Acolytes and Inquisitors filling the room, though occasionally
184 CH 3 LESHEHOFF a lone Inquisitor will enter the training hall to work out their demons in the dead of night. L9E - The Armory The door from the Training Hall opens into a room filled with racks of weapons and armor. Chests contain tabards blessed by the Abbot and sewn with complex religious iconography. Tables contain sacred wax, paints, and other materials for decorating and consecrating the arms and armor of the Inquisition. Finally, a large bronze statue of a saint overlooks the room, the statue’s expression one of righteous disgust. The armory contains every sort of weapon or set of armor that exists, with the addition of a surprising number of whips and scourges, no doubt for those servants of darkness armed with the most threatening weapon of all: their tongues. This room also serves as the Arms Master’s office, and several manuals full of inquisitorial training exercises and battle tactics can be found in the room. Reading these manuals would provide Advantage on Stealth, Deception, or Performance Checks when facing the Inquisition in battle (see Assaulting the Abbey at the end of the chapter). L9F - The Scriptorium The staircase from the training hall leads up to a large workshop flooded with the colored light of stained glass windows. A long work table stretches the length of the room, with shelves and side tables holding various calligraphy, illumination, and bookbinding tools. The smell of incense, ink, and parchment hang heavily in the air. A single door in the south wall leads out of the room. The Scriptorium is where acolytes and clergy members devote countless hours to recording, copying, and preserving their religious texts. The parchment and ink are so fine in quality that they could furnish hundreds of spell books and scrolls. Thousands of gold in supplies fill the room, though due to their volume and the lack of buyers, the bounty is really only useful for wizards, clerics, and the like. L9G - The Library The door from the scriptorium opens into a large library filled with tomes and scrolls, the shelves practically overflowing. Centuries of work have produced a vast record of knowledge. The spines of the books reveal that the tomes cover a variety of texts ranging from historical records, to healing manuals, to witch and monster hunting treatises, to the sacred texts of the Morning Lord itself. The Library is home to the Master of Catechisms, the head scholar of the Church. A sly and oily man known as Father Cyprian, the Master of Catechisms is the only member of the Church to know the Abbot’s true nature. In fact, Father Cyprian knows so much that he is no longer a believer of the Morning Lord at all, but rather views himself as a scholar that has accepted the Church’s patronage. This is a view he keeps as a closely guarded secret. However, if he catches the adventurers showing any hint of dislike or defiance of the Church, he would recognize them as potential allies and be willing to privately reveal what he knows. Catching them sneaking into the Library, of course, would be an excellent hint as to their true feelings towards the Church. Should the adventurers reveal that they are possible allies, Father Cyprian will reveal the following: • In his youth he was actually a squire of the Order of Blood and learned much under their depraved tutelage and from their sacred records. • Since his conversion to the faith of the Morning Lord and his studies over the decades, he has learned that the Church is nothing but a lie fostered by a corrupted angel. The angel once served the true Morning Lord, Lathander, but was tortured by the Blood Queen until it went insane.
185 CH 3 LESHEHOFF • St. Zharkov, the founder of the Church, and the Abbot are actually one and the same. • The Abbot dwells in a hidden sanctuary beneath the Abbey. The entranceway lies behind the statue of St. Zharkov and can be opened by uttering the phrase: “Ignis pluat sanguine muri inquinatus.” • The Angel’s true name is Temelloth, and it is incredibly dangerous. Should he be attacked, Father Cyprian has the stats of a Consortium Mage, though he will desperately try to make peace and convince the adventurers to listen to him. Furthermore, if it seems unlikely that the adventurers will reach the Library, Father Cyprian could send them an invitation, particularly if Tarasov assumes the adventurers are working for him. L9H - Theurgy Room Stepping through the door from the Library, you find yourself standing in a mostly empty chamber. The walls are lined with statues of various Saints, while a divine magic circle has been set into the floor. Small slits in the walls act as windows, and a few candles are lit, providing only the barest of illumination in the room. In truth, the statues lining the room are actually storage containers for various spell components, including thousands of gold worth of gems, precious metals, small reliquaries, incense, etc. The only way to access the components is to cite pieces of relevant scripture, thus requiring a DC 18 Religion Check per component. Divine Spell Scrolls can also be obtained from the statues, but they require a DC 20 Religion Check. L9I - Dormitories, 2nd Floor The stone staircase leads directly into the dormitories on the second floor. A row of bunk beds stacked three high stretches the length of the room, with a single door leading out into the hallway. Another door lies directly across from the first, leading to an identical dormitory while a final door lies to the east. The stench of poorly washed bodies and poor ventilation fills your throat with every breath you take. The dorms on the second floor can house at least 48 Inquisitors and Acolytes, meaning that at least 54 Inquisition members stay at the Abbey at a given time. The Church owns a few buildings in Leshehoff, besides, to handle any overflow as well as house Inquisitors on assignment. So, all told, there’s about 120 Inquisition members stationed in Leshehoff. It certainly seems like a small number compared to the Town Watch, though most of the watch is occupied with its duties and could only field about half of its strength at any given time, meaning the fight would be about 2 to 1. Nevertheless, the fearsome divine magics of the Inquisition give them a definite edge, meaning that open conflict would likely cripple both sides. Otherwise, the dorms are filled with clothing, personal grooming items, and various nicknacks. Inquisitors and Acolytes aren’t allowed to possess money or any objects of value. Everything of worth, including arms, armor, holy symbols, and supplies are all provided by the church. L9J - Tarasov’s Quarters The locked door opens into an extravagant personal chamber. A bed fit for royalty, an end table, and a magnificent wardrobe sit to the north, a gilded statue of the Morning Lord and a prayer mat dominate the center of the room, and an opulent desk and chair sit to the south. The scent of incense hangs in the air, wafting from censers built into the statue. A DC 16 Thieves Tools Check, the use of magic, or brute force is needed to unlock the door to Tarasov’s Quarters. As for the quarters themselves, one might expect the High Inquisitor’s quarters to be quite
186 CH 3 LESHEHOFF spartan and free from the trappings of earthly pleasures, but in Tarasov’s mind, to glorify himself and his station is to glorify the Morning Lord, as evidenced by the lavish furnishings in his room. The nightstand holds prayer beads worth 50 gold, along with a prayer book. The wardrobe contains cleric vestments worth 25 gold, as well as several sets of fine clothing worth 15 gold each. The desk contains 50 gold, along with Tarasov’s journal. Most of the journal is full of zealous ranting, though this does reveal his plans to turn Leshehoff into a theocracy, and from there, launch a crusade to take over Wreythau as a whole. This could be given to the Baroness and used to sway her towards regarding the Inquisition as the true threat to Leshehoff, assuming no other events haven’t convinced her of this already. L9K - Sacrificial Chamber After opening the secret passageway behind the giant golden statue of St. Zharkov in the Chapel, you descend down a twisting staircase deep into the earth. You come out into a chamber lit by flaming braziers, a mystical circle scribed into the floor is stained with old blood. A DC 15 Religion or Arcana Check would identify this as a sacrificial circle that feeds pieces of the victims soul to an otherworldly being, such as a demon, devil, or even angel. If a non-believer or other enemy of the Church catches Temelloth’s attention, they will be brought down to this chamber so that Temelloth can sacrifice the victim and feed off of its soul. This has helped to preserve Temelloth in the absence of its connection to Lathander, and has also further fueled its own corruption. L9L - Reliquary Exiting the door from the Sacrificial Chamber you enter a small hallway that leads to a chamber with five sarcophagi inside. Two large, smokeless braziers fill the room with firelight, the dancing flames dully reflecting off of the polished stone tombs. Carved into the side of the sarcophagi are lists of the relics they contain. Meanwhile, in the center of the room sits an elaborate sarcophagus with only the name Zharkov carved upon it. For the followers of the Morning Lord this is a most holy room, though for everyone else it’s no more special than any other grave. The relics inside only work for the corrupted followers of Temelloth, fueled by the Dark Power that the corrupted angel has unknowingly come to serve. However, there are a few magic items that have mistakenly been stored inside, including: a Bag of Holding, Boots of Striding and Springing, and Gloves of Missile Snaring. As for the tomb of Zharkov, should the adventurers crack it open they will find that it is empty. Temelloth faked its death, but did not bother supplying a decoy once the sarcophagus was built and sealed. L9M - Temelloth’s Sanctum Bag of Holding This bag has an interior space considerably larger than Wondrous item, minor tier, uncommon. 15 lb. —its outside dimensions, roughly 2 feet in diameter at the mouth and 4 feet deep. The bag can hold up to 500 pounds, not exceeding a volume of 64 cubic feet. The bag weighs 15 pounds, regardless of its contents. Retrieving an item from the bag requires an action. If the bag is overloaded, pierced, or torn, it ruptures and is destroyed, and its contents are scattered in the Astral Plane. If the bag is turned inside out, its contents spill forth, unharmed, but the bag must be put right before it can be used again. Breathing creatures inside the bag can survive up to a number of minutes equal to 10 divided by the number of creatures (minimum 1 minute), after which time they begin to suffocate. Placing a bag of holding inside an extradimensional space created by a Heward’s handy haversack, portable hole, or similar item instantly destroys both items and opens a gate to the Astral Plane. The gate originates where the one item was placed inside the other. Any creature within 10 feet of the gate is sucked through it to a random location on the Astral Plane. The gate then closes. The gate is one-way only and can’t be reopened. Source: DMG. p153
187 CH 3 LESHEHOFF A long hallway leads to the final chamber in this hidden inner sanctum. The door opens, revealing a massive, brass and stone altar that’s been set into the floor, and before the altar sits an enormous throne flanked by two braziers. Standing before the throne is a human man with a great bushy beard and a gaze filled with the blazing fires of fanaticism. This is Temelloth’s home, where it spends long months and years pondering the cosmic significance of its distorted ontology and the mystical weave of the universe. Occasionally it makes an appearance to its followers as the Abbot, and occasionally it travels, though for a being like Temelloth, time and psychology function on an utterly inhuman scale. Thus, Temelloth spends much of its time lurking down here, beneath the earth. Should the adventurers actually have helped Tarasov, the Abbot would indeed grant a miracle of their choice, such as: performing resurrection, granting a +2 item, granting fire resistance, or granting +2 to an ability. Note, this is a single miracle, not a miracle each. Otherwise, the Abbot will respond to the intrusion into its chambers with hostility, but it will not reveal its true nature unless brought to a quarter health OR the adventurers admit that they know what the Abbot truly is (see Father Cyprian in the Library, L9G). At that point, Temelloth would reveal its true form and Dimension Door out of the Inner Sanctum to begin venting its wrath against the hive of scum and villainy that Leshehoff has clearly become. Fighting Temelloth Boots of Striding and Springing Wondrous item, major tier, uncommon (requires attunement) While you wear these boots, your walking speed becomes —30 feet, unless your walking speed is higher, and your speed isn’t reduced if you are encumbered or wearing heavy armor. In addition, you can jump three times the normal distance, though you can’t jump farther than your remaining movement would allow. Source: DMG, page 156. Gloves of Missile Snaring These gloves seem to almost meld into your hands when Wondrous item, major tier, uncommon (requires attunement) —you don them. When a ranged weapon attack hits you while you’re wearing them, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier, provided that you have a free hand. If you reduce the damage to 0, you can catch the missile if it is small enough for you to hold in that hand. Source: DMG, page 172
188 CH 3 LESHEHOFF In his human guise as the Abbot, Temelloth will use Fireball, followed by Compelled Duel on targets with the lowest health, however if it is dropped to half health then it will use Dimension Door to escape the Inner Sanctum and heal, later rallying the Inquisition to assault Leshehoff (led by Temelloth in its angelic form). In its inhumanly warped mind, the Angel would consider the adventurers as proof of the collective sin of humanity (and elves, dwarves, halflings, etc) and resort to mass murder and terrorism as it had done long ago in order to drive as many people as it could into the fold of the faithful. Once in its Angelic Form, Temelloth will rely upon Firebolt and Flyby attacks to damage its enemies before swooping in to kill them on the ground. In that case, the adventurers’ best option is to lead as many people to safety as they can (such as hiding them in the guardhouses, beneath the Copper Crown, in the Barony Mansion, or even the Consortium Outpost). This would force Temelloth to try to breach the building, thus confining its ability to fly and attack from range. Suggested maps for this epic battle against the Angel are: Town Gates, Town Street, Marketplace, Barony Mansion, Consortium Outpost, and/or Copper Crown Tavern. Consider choosing 2-3 maps and having the battle take place in stages, with the adventurers escorting fleeing groups of townsfolk and battling with the Angel. Also, consider giving them at least one short rest or chance to heal before beginning the final confrontation with Temelloth inside one of the buildings. L10 - The Catacombs Sitting the northwest corner of the Abbey grounds lies a graveyard filled with thousands of corpses. In the center lies the mausoleum holding the Inquisitions honored dead, and beneath it lies a small catacombs that were cut into the earth long, long ago. Now the Inquisition uses the Catacombs as a prison for their enemies, both living and dead. After being tortured, forced to confess to a multiple of sins and crimes, and burned alive, the Inquisition’s victims are buried in the catacombs along with whatever belongings survived the hungry flames of the pyre, their restless spirits kept trapped by the spectres of the Inquisition themselves. This is where the other survivors from the shipwreck have been taken, forcibly imprisoned and tortured until they see death as Temelloth, Tortured Angel Large Fiend, chaotic evil —Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 200 (20d10 + 95) Speed — 40 ft., fly 120 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA —22 (+6) 15 (+2) 17 (+3) 17 (+3) 12 (+1) 23 (+6) Saving Throws Str +10, Wis +6, Cha +10 Skills Insight +6, Perception +6 Damage Resistances radiant; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Condition Immunities fire, charmed, exhaustion, frightened Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 16 Languages all Challenge — 13 (10,000 XP) Flyby. The angel doesn’t provoke an opportunity attack when it flies out of an enemy’s reach. Innate Spellcasting. The angel’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). The angel can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At-will: Firebolt (as an 11th level caster). 3/day each: compelled duel, counterspell 1/day each: cure wounds (as a 6th level spell), fireball (as a 6thlevel spell), dimension door. Relentless (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). If the angel takes 21 damage or less that would reduce it to 0 hit points, it is reduced to 1 hit point instead. Legendary Resistance (3/day). If the angel fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. Stat Block Heading Multiattack. The angel makes two melee attacks. Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d8 + 6) slashing damage, or 11 (1d10 + 6) slashing damage if used with two hands, plus 22 (5d8) fire damage that bypasses resistance. Legendary Actions The angel can take 3 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. The angel regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn Attack. The angel can make one attack or cast Firebolt. Move. The angel can move or fly up to its speed.
189 CH 3 LESHEHOFF the only escape. They captured the survivors because of their connections to the Consortium, the Reinwalds, and the Mad Alchemist of Inbarev, though if any of those groups were to learn that the Inquisition was openly acting against them, the repercussions would be dire. That said, the benefit of capturing vulnerable members of these groups was more than worth the risk. So, their capture is a secret the Inquisition wishes to protect. On the other hand, the fact that the Catacombs have never been breached has also cultivated an arrogance that could prove to be their greatest weakness. Approaching the Catacombs Acres of graves surround the Mausoleum that guards the entrance to the Catacombs, acres of silent tombstones and mouldering corpses buried in the earth. Occasionally, you see the faint glow of lanterns weaving their way through the maze of graves, appearing like ghost lights floating through the dark, though the patrols are few and far between, and hopefully never come near. Consider having 4 to 6 Inquisition Acolytes stumble upon the adventurers. The challenge isn’t in the fight itself, but rather in keeping the Acolytes quiet and unable to run for help. Most likely, the party will make short work of them, which is excellent, as it allows the players to feel like the badass heroes they are. L10A - The Pyre A small clearing sits before the Mausoleum with the remains of a massive pyre fifteen feet across sitting in its center. Twin paths flank the clearing, lit by the light of several lanterns. A DC 12 Investigation Check will reveal that there are still bits of burnt rope and leather in the ashes of the pyre, along with a few small bones. It’s clear that most of the remains have been gathered from the ashes, however, and brought towards the Mausoleum. Special Event: Screams of the Dying Ask any adventurers investigating the pyre to make a perception check. The adventurer with the lowest result will begin to hear the agonized echoes of men and women being burnt alive. The longer they linger around the pyre, the louder the echoes become, the ghostly screams of the dead multiplying, dozens becoming hundreds until it is all the adventurer can hear. The effect stops when the adventurer moves at least 30 feet away from the pyre, with the last echo sounding out: “Sybilla! Tabea! I love you!” (See L6, Alchemist’s Shop).
190 CH 3 LESHEHOFF L10B - The Midden Around the back of the Mausoleum is hidden a giant midden heap, the stench of rotting garbage wafting up your nostrils with every breath. Before you can turn away in disgust, however, you hear something, the quiet muttering of a man melding with the screeches of rats. In other lands, putting a midden in a graveyard would be horribly disrespectful, but considering all of the horrible creatures that exist in Wreythau, and all the ones specifically attracted to rotting things, the Inquisition decided it made the most sense to put all of the rotting things in one place for general health and safety. Besides, having a midden near their pyre also makes cleaning up after their frequent executions much easier. Most notably, however, is that there is someone near the midden: The Rat Keeper. Once, decades ago, The Rat Keeper was an Inquisitor named Renauld Kanitresc, famous throughout the Church, though a blow from a Beastfolk’s axe forever changed him. Not wishing to discard their once honored comrade, Renauld was set to work doing odd jobs around the Abbey until he eventually found himself in charge of managing the Midden itself. Over the years, he found he had a close affinity for the rats that gathered to gnaw on the refuse, and has since developed a close bond with them. Now, the name of Renauld Kanitresc is almost forgotten, and most of the acolytes and inquisitors simply refer to him as The Rat Keeper. The Rat Keeper is not hostile unless provoked, and is actually quite talkative, rambling on about whatever the adventurers ask as rats swarm up from beneath his collar and across his monk’s habit. He will tell the adventurers about the ghosts guarding the entrance to the catacombs, the prisoners being kept inside (Beastfolk, along with the survivors of the shipwreck, most likely including Raum, Yasviga, Rahved, and Vara), that there are traps placed inside the Catacombs, and that the Abbot has a secret that only Father Cyprian in the Library (L9G) knows. Make the Rat Keeper as eccentric or creepy as you and your group feel comfortable with. Otherwise, if attacked, The Rat Keeper will unleash 2 Swarms of Carnivorous Rats that will attack the adventurers. As for the Rat Keeper himself, he shares the stats of a commoner after decades of retirement. L10C - The Mausoleum Two doors lead inside the mausoleum, the heavy slabs of stone grinding open to reveal an ancient stone chamber with six crumbling tombs inside. At the end of the chamber lies a stone staircase that descends down into the earth, and in each corner of the chamber lies a statue etched with complex glyphs. The smell of dust and stale air fills the Mausoleum, and the echo of your footsteps alone shatters the almost deafening silence inside. The tombs contain the bodies of famous inquisitors, men and women who earned their fame by burning non-believers and slaying the multifarious monsters of Wreythau. The statues at the corners of the room have summoned and snared 4 of the spirits of these inquisitors (4 Honored Dead), and their specters now guard the Mausoleum from the Inquisition’s foes, both living and dead. When the adventurers first enter the Mausoleum the spirits of the Honored Dead are hiding inside the statues that have bound them, and will wait for the best moment to strike. For instance, when one of the adventurers goes to examine the glyphs on the statues. A DC 14 Religion or Arcana check will reveal that the glyphs are necromantic and that they act as anchors that trap and bind the spirits of the dead. Of course, the Honored Dead will attack before this conclusion can be reached.
191 CH 3 LESHEHOFF L10D - Catacomb Entrance The staircase leading down from the mausoleum is old and cracked, though thankfully it holds steady under your feet. As you reach the bottom of the stairs, you find yourself staring at the mouth of a pitch black tunnel carved through the earth. The ground is littered with thousands of bones, and alcoves carved into the sides of the tunnel are packed full of even more of the dead. There are no light sources in this part of the Catacombs. As for the Catacombs themselves, they were carved long ago, long before even the coming of the Inquisition. A DC 13 Medicine Check will reveal that many of the bones in the alcoves are elven, while most of the bones covering the floor belong to an assortment of different sentient creatures, though the majority are human. DC 16 History Check will reveal that these catacombs were carved well over a thousand years ago, suggesting that the Mausoleum and the Abbey itself are much more recent additions to the landscape. In the middle of the hallway sits a Poison Dart Trap. The trap was installed by Inquisition, not to keep intruders out, but to kill anyone that might try to escape. Poison Darts Mechanical trap When a creature steps on a hidden pressure plate, poison-tipped darts shoot from spring-loaded or pressurized tubes cleverly embedded in the surrounding walls. An area might include multiple pressure plates, each one rigged to its own set of darts. The tiny holes in the walls are obscured by dust and cobwebs, or cleverly hidden amid bas-reliefs, murals, or frescoes that adorn the walls. The DC to spot them is 15. With a successful DC 15 Investigation check, a character can deduce the presence of the pressure plate from variations in the mortar and stone used to create it, compared to the surrounding floor. Wedging an iron spike or other object under the pressure plate prevents the trap from activating. Stuffing The Holes with cloth or wax prevents the darts contained within from launching. The trap activates when more than 20 pounds of weight is placed on the pressure plate, releasing four darts. Each dart makes a ranged Attack with a +8 bonus against a random target within 10 feet of the pressure plate (vision is irrelevant to this Attack roll). (If there are no Targets in the area, the darts don’t hit anything.) A target that is hit takes 2 (1d4) piercing damage and must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 11 (2d10) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Honored Dead —Medium undead, lawful evil Armor Class 12 Hit Points 22 (5d8) Speed — 0 ft., fly 50 ft. (hover) STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA —1 (-5) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 11 (+0) 11 (+0) 11 (+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 common but can’t speak Challenge — 1 (200 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. The binding statues are exempt from this. Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the specter has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. 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.
192 CH 3 LESHEHOFF L10E - First Chamber The tunnel opens up into a chamber lined with alcoves, yet these seem different. Newer, perhaps. Many of the alcoves are decorated with religious symbols and warding glyphs, and the bones and ashes of the dead seem to have been ungraciously packed inside. As you look closer, you can see that there appear to be objects buried amongst the bones. The alcoves in this chamber were emptied by the Inquisition and converted to store the remains of their most dangerous foes and victims. The religious glyphs and symbols are meant to keep their souls trapped and docile, with any “instruments of evil” that survived the pyre are stored with them, meant to languish and be forgotten beside the bones of those who wielded them. There are several burnt daggers, swords, axe and spear heads, pieces of armor, and other assorted spell foci. Buried among the refuse, however, is something most strange: a staff that doesn’t appear to have been touched by fire at all. This staff is a legendary, scaling relic known as the Staff of The Old Faith. Along with the Staff, the adventurers will also find the Sacred Mortar and Pestle needed for the Beastfolk Initiation Ritual (see Caeltos Village, Quests). Lastly, a single tunnel leads deeper into the Catacombs. L10F - Second Chamber The second chamber you enter is larger than the first and the floor is piled even deeper with bones. The alcoves are more elaborate, perhaps suggesting that the original occupants were of a higher station than those in the first chamber. Just as before, the squirming, furious rays of hundreds of suns have been carved into the stone, along with other symbols of protection. This chamber contains the remains of the famous Oracle that Cival mentioned, and the deck of cards she asked the adventurers to find lies within. The deck of cards is a magical item, steeped in powerful divination magic. It is being stored in a small, burnt wooden box about 7 inches long and three inches wide. Additionally, there is another powerful magic item being stored in this chamber: The Book of Vile Darkness itself. The book acts as one of the legendary, scaling relics that the adventurers can find. Lastly, the chamber leads to passage which ends in a fork (two tunnels splitting off into different directions). There is a fire trap sitting at the fork: Fire-Breathing Statue Magic trap This trap is activated when an intruder steps on a hidden pressure plate, releasing a magical gout of flame from a nearby statue. The DC is 15 to spot the pressure plate, as well as faint scorch marks on the floor and walls. A spell or other Effect that can sense the presence of magic, such as Detect Magic, reveals an aura of Evocation magic around the statue. The trap activates when more than 20 pounds of weight is placed on the pressure plate, causing the statue to release a 30-foot cone of fire. Each creature in the fire must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Cartomancer’s Deck The Cartomancer’s Deck allows the user to cast Augury, Wondrous Item, Very Rare, Requires Attunement —Divination, and Legend Lore once per day. Alternatively, the Dungeon Master can activate the deck themselves, describing cards falling from the deck to warn the attuned user of important, or dire, events to come. The Dungeon Master is encouraged to use visual metaphors and other figurative language as they describe the cards (and, in essence, the events and people they refer to).
193 CH 3 LESHEHOFF Wedging an iron spike or other object under the pressure plate prevents the trap from activating. A successful Dispel Magic (DC 13) cast on the statue destroys the trap. L10G - Third Chamber The third chamber you come to is the most ornate of them all, natural crystals gleaming in the walls above the alcoves. Faint light filters into the chamber from a tunnel to the south, along with the echoes of whimpers and muttering. The most notable thing stored in the third chamber is the final legendary scaling relic, the Bow of Whispers. The bow belonged to one of the Ghul Sildreth, long ago, and has lain here for almost 1500 years, desperate to be used once again. L10H - Prison Gates made of metal bars block the entrance to a large chamber that’s been converted into a prison. Torches along the walls shed dim light throughout the room, the iron bars of the cells casting flickering shadows across the bare stone floor. The stench of blood and shit wafts into your nostrils, and a symphony of pained moans, desperate whimpers, and fervent muttering reaches your ears. A DC 17 Thieves Tools Check is needed to open the pick any of the locks in the prison, including the doors leading into the room, the doors of the cells, and the manacles the prisoners are bound with. Alternatively, the adventurers could take the key from Anatole Vellekov who is busy torturing Raum in the Torture Chamber (R10I). As for the prisoners, the five cells are filled with Beastfolk and the survivors from the Shipwreck. Assuming they were not killed earlier, Rahved, Vara, and at least a handful of sailors are chained up in the cells to the south. Yasviga is chained with silver manacles (due to her nature as a lycanthrope) in the cell to the northeast, and several Beastfolk are chained in the cell to the west. These Beastfolk are mostly harmless villagers (commoners) captured while foraging, though a few (kept separate in the center cell) are Followers of Agrona (using Beastfolk Warrior stats) and are eager to die by combat if given the chance. Once freed, the other Beastfolk will want to flee back to the forests, though will thank the adventurers for rescuing them and will promise to spread word of their good deed. If the adventurers offer to escort them, the Beastfolk will agree and take them to Caeltos Village. Yasviga will also thank the characters, and promise that her parents will reward them richly in Raffenburg, though she’ll disappear soon after (having turned into a wolf and decided to make her way to Raffenburg post haste). Raum, for his part, will also thank the characters and offer to help them with anything they need, though will remind them that he is a simple tailor. He intends to take the next Consortium caravan to Raffenburg and asks them to find him there. Rhaved, if still alive, and if freed, will depart immediately for Inbarev. Vara, if still alive, will make her way to the Copper Crown Tavern, where she is soon recruited by Cival. L10I - Torture Chamber Bloodied stretching racks, iron maidens, and other elaborate instruments of torture line the walls of the chamber, while three whipping posts sit in the center of the room. The stone floor is painted with a dark red patina of old blood, and the very air seems to hum with the memory of thousands of souls screaming out in agony. Tied to the middle whipping post is the limp and unconscious figure of an elf wearing a silver mask: the simple tailor known as Raum.
194 CH 3 LESHEHOFF Despite claiming to be just a simple tailor, the Inquisition found the instruments of murder marking his true profession among his belongings and correctly deduced he was a member of the Outer Seas. As such, the information he possesses on the operations of the Consortium are particularly valuable, especially considering Tarasov’s dream to eventually destroy the Consortium all together. Perhaps unfortunately, Raum has proved a tremendously difficult nut to crack. It is the Blade of the Sun, Anatole Vellekov himself, who has taken to overseeing Raum’s torture himself. Anatole is particularly prideful about his work, and most studious about the methods he uses, so his attention has been mostly occupied. However, if the adventurers tripped the Fire Trap at the forked tunnels, or if they made a significant amount of noise in the Prison, then Anatole will realize he’s not alone and he will try to set an ambush for the adventurers (likely by resetting the Fire Trap and waiting nearby to charge in once it goes off), fighting to the death. If Anatole is caught unawares, he will respond with righteous fury and attempt to kill the adventurers, fighting to the death. Once slain, the key to the prison can be removed from his corpse. Assaulting the Abbey Most likely, the adventurers will decide that the Inquisition is a threat that cannot be ignored. Should they win the trust of the Baroness and help prove this to her (assuming the Inquisition doesn’t prove this themselves), then she could be persuaded to plan an assault against the Abbey itself with the adventurers acting as a strike force to take out the key leadership of the Inquisition. As mentioned earlier, the amount of troops the Baroness could field makes the fight 2v1, with the Inquisition being the smaller force. That said, the Inquisition has powerful divine magic on its side, making it an almost even match. This makes the adventurers key in the battle, but only if used strategically. The Baroness will stress that putting them on the front lines would be foolish and wasteful, as their talents are best used to perform a decisive strike against critical targets. Namely, Tarasov and the Abbot. If the adventurers agree to her plan, Baroness Tornheim would lead her troops in an assault on the walls of the Abbey, drawing most of the Inquisitions attention and allowing the adventurers to slip into the Abbey itself. By the time the assault happens, the adventurers should have already been through the Catacombs and killed Anatole Vellekov, as well as interacted with many of the other plot points throughout Leshehoff, and they should be Level 5 before assaulting the Abbey. Once the adventurers are ready to begin the assault, however, they will discover that there are 20 Inquisition Acolytes, 4 Inquisitorial Officers, 10 Inquisitors, and Tarasov himself within the Abbey. Place them strategically so that the adventurers have to fight through them on their way up to Tarasov’s Quarters (or wherever you wish him to be). Having Tarasov lead a fighting retreat could be a lot of fun, though he is just as likely to be hiding. However you want to do it is fine. The Abbot, of course, would still be lurking in its Inner Sanctum, just waiting to be released. If the adventurers are particularly clever or motivated, Tarasov might die, though it is most likely that he will escape to hound them in Raffenberg. Either way, once the Abbey has been cleared, the rest of the Inquisition will fold without its leadership and the battle would be won. This, however, would be enough to awaken the rage of Temelloth, and it would assault Leshehoff the next night (see L9M for more information). S Special Events Tarasov’s Request: See L3, the Market Square. The High Inquisitor wishes to forcibly recruit the adventurers into being his spies, digging up dirt on the Baroness so that he can overthrow her and take over the town.
195 CH 3 LESHEHOFF Cival’s Job Offer See L4, the Copper Crown Tavern. Cival, the tavern keeper, asks the adventurers to retrieve a magic item for her, and offers information and gold in return. Sir Constantin Arrives This event should trigger sometime before the Meeting at the Crossroads (see below). Thankfully, the Meeting at the Crossroads can be postponed quite easily. The Baroness only meets Sir Hajek a few times every month, so that event takes place when it’s convenient. Don’t be afraid to delay it a few days and insert Sir Constantin’s arrival in the meantime. During the night, the adventurers will be awoken by someone pounding on the door of the Copper Crown Tavern, nevermind that the tavern is closed. If they go to investigate, they will find Cival opening the door to let in a man clad in black armor painted with the heraldic symbol of a crimson drop of blood. The man has grey hair and a rather patrician face decorated with several battle scars. His eyes are red, and the hint of fangs can be seen beneath his lips when he talks. He introduces himself as Sir Rurik Constantin of the Order of Blood, and asks to be permitted lodging for the night. He is serenely calm and polite, and will ask to speak to the adventurers when they have a moment. If they refuse, he won’t press the matter, and will instead simply ask them once a night. He stays in one of the vacant rooms (sleeping atop one of the beds during the day, as there is no daylight that can pierce the perpetual storm clouds), though will come out to sit on the couches by the landing upstairs, reading books and waiting for the characters to talk to him. If they get violent, he will simply become mist and leave, the opportunity becoming lost. Once they speak to him, however, he asks them if they have encountered any other knights like himself in the area. He will inform them that, to his great shame, a group of knights have broken their oaths to the Order of Blood and gone Renegade. He is trying to find them and has heard that they might be in the area. The leader of this group is a man named Sir Hajek, and though he was once honorable, Constantin suspects some foul motivation now drives him. If the characters kill Sir Hajek, Constantin will express that the Order of Blood will owe them a great debt and they simply have to travel to Frey’s Rest to claim it. Otherwise, he will pay for information on Sir Hajek. Beyond that, Constantin will be happy to chat about the Order of Blood, explaining its tenets, or otherwise answering questions about Wreythau. He can confirm that, yes, the Queen of Blood is very real, and that all the vampires in the land are descended from her bloodline. He will also confirm that Beleroth is on his way to collect the taxes, and explain the blood tithe. Essentially, a portion of the town’s population must be sent to offer up blood every year. Most of those sent in the tithe return home, though some do not. Otherwise, the taxes consist of gold. Beyond that, he will swap stories about different monsters, the mystical nature of blood, or any other topic the adventurers wish to converse about. The Baroness’ Dinner This event hasn’t been discussed previously, but is nonetheless very important. Once the Baroness hears about the arrival of foreigners in Leshehoff, she will send a servant to invite them to a private dinner with her and Stefan. The servant will most likely arrive at the Copper Crown Tavern and present the adventurers with an envelope made of incredibly expensive parchment. Inside is a handwritten invitation to dinner, along with a request to RSVP with the evening they’d like to dine. The dinner would be held inside the Barony Mansion (L2), and the evening would begin with drinks in the Library (L2B), perhaps moving into the Parlor (L2D) if some of the adventurers wish to speak to the Baroness privately. Afterwards, they would proceed to the dining room. All in all, the dinner would be a perfect opportunity to snoop around the Mansion, particularly in the wake of Tarasov’s Request.
196 CH 3 LESHEHOFF Of course, the dinner also presents another opportunity. If the adventurers share stories about themselves that reveal them to be capable individuals open to mercenary work, the Baroness will propose a job offer to them. She will describe the increasingly deadly raids conducted by the Beastfolk, as well as her fear that these raids only precede a full scale assault upon her city. She will offer to hire them to try and scout the woods and chart the movements of the Beastfolk and the locations of their camps. If they agree, she’ll offer 300 gold (can be negotiated up to 500) each in exchange for their intelligence reports. Should the party succeed in gathering information (i.e. finding the Village of Caeltos and learning that the Followers of Agrona have left for the Cailleach Wilds until after the solstice) then she will offer to take them into her confidence and meet her secret ally: Sir Hajek of the Renegades. Alternatively, the players could uncover the missives Tornheim has exchanged with Hajek, and could confront her about them, or they could simply shadow her to the meeting. Regardless, this would continue into another event: the Meeting at the Crossroads. Meeting at the Crossroads This event triggers at least a few days after the Baroness’ Dinner. When it does trigger, Baroness Tornheim rides alone to the crossroads to meet Sir Hajek at midnight. Hajek is also alone. The two have come to discuss strategy for their upcoming campaign against the Beastfolk. If the Baroness invites the adventurers, they will be introduced and included in the conversation. The crux of the issue seems to be how many troops to commit to the field and how to keep their supply lines up. A DC 15 Insight Check will reveal that Hajek is subtly pressuring Tornheim to overextend and over-rely upon his knights. A DC 15 History Check would reveal that Hajek is trying to set up a decisive double cross, either by facilitating increased casualties among Tornheim’s troops or by turning on her troops in the field outright. If they bring this up, Tornheim will realize they’re right and will end negotiations for the night. As they head back to town, Tornheim will discuss the situation with the adventurers and realize that she’d been being played.
197 CH 3 LESHEHOFF At that point, Hajek would make plans to ambush the party the next time they leave Leshehoff. If the adventurers follow the Baroness to spy on her then they must make stealth checks vs. her passive perception (DC 16). If discovered, Tornheim will challenge the adventurers and question them, though will not attack unless attacked first. If they succeed, the adventurers can spy on her and Hajek and can make the rolls above as they eavesdrop. If the adventurers confront Hajek alone, he will attack and try to kill them. No need for foreign meddlers when he has a town to capture and his family to avenge. If the characters try to talk to him about why he’s doing this, he would be willing to pause and explain, but his mind would already be made up. He blames the Tornheims for his family’s death, blames the Order of Blood for being so reactionary, and is determined to bring about a new reign to right the wrongs of the past. That new reign does not include the adventurers. Chapter Epilogue: The Tax Collector Comes Calling Once the adventurers have exhausted the available quests in Leshehoff (having dealt with the Inquisition, the Consortium, etc.), this final event will trigger. Word will race through town that the Tax Collector has finally arrived. The townsfolk run through the streets, slamming and locking doors, and all while a massive storm builds on the horizon. Soon, the storm moves in, rain falling in great sheets, thunder booming as lightning lashes across the sky, the wind shaking buildings until it seems like the end of the world has finally come, and that is when the adventurers hear a knock upon their door(s). Standing on the threshold of the doorway is a tall, handsome elven man. His dark hair and beard are threaded with grey despite his youthful appearance, hinting at the extreme age that seems to only live in his eyes. He wears dark clothing embroidered with silver, lightly dusted with raindrops as though the raging storm outside was but a drizzle. He smiles at you, revealing flat, pearly white teeth, and asks for a moment of your time with a voice as smooth as polished gemstones. Beleroth will ask the adventurers to all gather together so that they may speak. If asked who he is, he will introduce himself with a small bow, informing the characters that he is “Beleroth Haar an Thell, viceroy of Wreythau and the collector of taxes.” His manner is excessively polite and charming, though a DC 18 Insight Check will reveal that it is all a facade and an undercurrent of rage lies beneath his demeanor. If the adventurers for some reason refuse to speak with them, he will insist that they at least shake hands before he leaves and they will find a red, chalky residue left on their skin or gloves as the handshake ends. This marks the characters for teleportation, and they soon find themselves teleported into the Cairn. See the next chapter. If the adventurers agree to speak with them, he will inform them that they have been invited to the Court of the Blood Queen, Czerina Gavranova, the first of her name, and ask them to accompany him immediately. She has heard of their coming and wishes to speak with them about a very important matter. If they agree, his smile will widen and he will teleport them all into the Cairn. See the next chapter. If they refuse, or say they need more time, he will nod understandingly, but will be casting the teleportation spell the whole time and will teleport the room that they’re in onto the walls of the Cairn. The teleportation spell is cast with a magic piece of chalk made from Czerina’s blood. It might seem cruel to basically give the adventurers no choice over whether they go or not, but the chance of missing what comes next is a far worse result. Besides, it will help communicate to the players the power scale
198 CH 3 LESHEHOFF that they are dealing with. Furthermore, a brief moment of helplessness helps emphasize the horrific nature of their situation, being trapped in an evil land against their will, before they regain their agency. Leshehoff, Sample Quest Trajectory: Overall, Leshehoff is a very broad space with several complex interconnecting quests and plot threads. The story could go many ways depending on how you wish to frame the story, as well as what the players wish to focus on. What’s most important is reacting to the actions of the players and letting the story play out in response to that. Don’t be afraid to change or adapt events. What’s written is simply a foundation to help you tell the story. In essence, the broad strokes of the story is that, although they came to find the source of the Gulthias Flowers, the adventurers realize that they’ve been trapped in this nightmarish land and that something much more dangerous is going on. As they investigate, they realize that the Inquisition is the most pressing threat, and one they can’t ignore. Once the Inquisition is dealt with, they encounter Beleroth who gives them the chance to find the source of what started this nightmare in the first place: the Blood Queen. However, if you’d like a more detailed example of how the story might play out, take a look below. Again, this is just an example to help you conceptualize the story, but again, feel free to disregard if you have other ideas, or your players take you in another direction: After meeting the Mata Yezinka in Caeltos village, and hearing about the Inquisition, the adventurers make it to the town gates and head to the marketplace. There they meet Tarasov who says he has a job for them. They proceed to the Copper Crown to get lodging. Tarasov arrives at the tavern to press them into digging up dirt on the Baroness. For the moment, the adventurers agree, choosing to pick their battles and see where this goes. Not long afterwards they receive an invitation from the Baroness and use the opportunity to see what they can find. After snooping around they find out about the Baroness’ plans with the Renegades. They follow her to one of the meetings with Hajek and later convince her that she’s being played. Returning to town, the adventurers debate what to do with the information they have, when they are approached by Cival. She shares some gossip with them about the Tailor and Alchemist (see Leshehoff Lore), and then makes them her job offer: agree to retrieve an item from the Catacombs and she’ll share information about the Consortium and the Inquisition. Afterwards, the characters take some time to plan their next move and investigate the Tailor and Alchemist. • This brings the characters level to 4. The aftermath of the side quests with the tailor and alchemist spurs more conflict with the Inquisition and the adventurers decide to raid the Catacombs. Afterwards, Cival tells them about the Consortium and the Adventurers pounce on the information, heading to the Consortium Outpost. This leads to the discovery of the information about the Gulthias Flowers, though Beleroth hasn’t arrived. • The Characters level to 5. By this time, Tarasov is impatient and demands answers, issuing threats of violence if the characters don’t comply. Realizing they have more pressing matters than Beleroth and the Gulthias Flowers, they go to the Baroness and convince her that the Inquisition is a clear and present danger. Together, they plan an assault on the Abbey. This results in the Temelloth, aka the Abbott, attacking the town and the adventurers drive Temelloth away. Miraculously, the adventurers have saved the town. The Baroness thanks them for their heroic efforts, though the ceremony is interrupted by the arrival of Beleroth. He magically kidnaps the adventurers. This leads to the chapter epilogue and on into the final chapter.
199 CH 4 THE BLOOD QUEEN AWAKENS I n the final chapter of Volume 1, the adventurers will finally meet Czerina in the flesh. It will be their blood that awakens her from her slumber, and so will begin their danse macabre. Before they meet her, however, the adventurers will be able to explore a portion of Czerina’s gothic castle, The Cairn, and uncover some of its secrets. As their search beginst will be clear that the wing of the castle they find themselves in is little more than an elegant prison, and one that is not without its dangers, the most notable of them being their present gaoler: Beleroth himself. The Cairn Arriving at the Cairn: Due to a powerful magical object created from Czerina’s blood itself, the adventurers were teleported to the Cairn, either with their consent or not. In the event that Beleroth teleported the room they were standing in, it would land atop TCA (see below) and maintain structural integrity long enough for the adventurers to clear out before being swept away by a sudden gale, leaving the adventurers unharmed and the wall clear once more. By this time, the adventurers might wish to fight Beleroth. Depending on how you feel, he might entertain them for a few rounds, though eventually he would tell them “to meet him at the top of the tower” and disappear with Dimension Door. This would leave the adventurers free to explore this part of the Cairn as they will. Alternatively, if the adventurers are feeling more diplomatic, then Beleroth would lead them to their rooms and inform them that dinner will be held in a few hours. If they need anything, they can ask the servants, and otherwise he will disappear once more, leaving the adventurers to their own devices. Chapter 4 The Blood Queen Awakens
200 CH 4 THE BLOOD QUEEN AWAKENS Lastly, if the adventurers decide to escape, Beleroth will merely track them down on the road. Consider using the woodland encounters map to stage the battle. He would ambush them as they tried to rest, and would brutally knock out each party member before bringing them directly to the Tower (TCH). TCA - The Wall Wind whips across the battlements of the wall, the world falling away in a sharp drop to a moat of slowly churning lava on one side, and a bone breaking expanse of cobblestones on the other. Two massive statues have been placed to the north and south ends of the wall, blocking your passage. A bridge connects the towering wall to the castle itself, the gaping mouth of a carved, demonic skull welcoming you inside the palatial fortress. The top of the wall is 100 ft above the ground, on both sides. The stone statues are both enchanted with a wall of force that extends 50 feet around them, making passage almost impossible. They were moved to the wall specifically to transform this part of the castle into a prison. The carved head is also enchanted to be a guardian, granting the entranceway a fauxsentience with an odd sense of humor. It’s been commanded to let the adventurers come and go as they please (and it will), though it will try to trick them into believing they must answer riddles in order to open the door. It does this by proclaiming “To avoid certain death, answer me these riddles three!” but won’t actually do anything if the players ignore it. It simply wants to amuse itself by playing a little prank. The Riddles: