EN5ider 142 - Zeitgeist 00 Bonds of Forced Faith

EN5ider Presents:
A Zeitgeist Campaign World Adventure
Bonds of
Forced Faith
Wherein a King and his Retinue strike
against a Coven of Witches before they
can lay a dire Curse upon an entire City.
An Enchanting Excursion for 10th-Level Characters
From the Pen of Ryan Nock Thoroughly Playtested for Maximum Enjoyment by
Stunning Cartographic Displays by James Hazelett Sam Coman, Mary Crowell, Matthew Freeman, Benton Harris,
Jonathan Roberts James Herbert, Thurston Hillman, Stoyan Ivanov,
Masterful Interior Illustrations by Claudio Pozas Russell Morrissey, Randal Slaven, and Judson Stowe
& artists of history
with Layout and Graphic Design by Eric Life-Putnam Seamlessly Updated to Fifth Edition by
Ably Produced and Facilitated by Russell Morrissey Ryan Nock
Special Thanks to Nobuo Uematsu for the soundtrack to Final Fantasy VIII, which taught me to love a good witch villain.
Introduction
t he city of Flint in the year 400 a.o.v. is a
modest coastal hub of shipping, fishing, and
lumber, far from the industrial powerhouse it will be-

to leave this space of the setting’s history a bit vague, so whatever
result occurs can become canon in your game.
We start where the action begins, shortly before sunset on the
night of a lunar eclipse.
The King’s Retinue.

come a century later during the main events of the This adventure includes six pregenerated characters. If you have
five players, run Mayor Stanfield as an npc, and with four, also
Zeitgeist adventure path. make Principal Minister Harkover Lee an npc, since neither of
them can end up king.
The second war with Danor over control of distant islands has • King Lorcan Finn. Human monarch of Risur, a sword-
distracted King Lorcan of Risur, and his inattention has allowed wielding warrior empowered through ancient rites by the
a coven of witches to rise to power in this unimportant corner of devotion of his citizens. His ultimate goal is to declare a
his nation. The witches, led by a woman from the east known as worthy successor before the night’s end, and he plans for that
the Red Contessa, have terrorized the people of Flint for years, ab- to be Dame Melissa … if he can teach her a few things about
ducting children, raising the walking dead, and performing dark what it means to be a responsible monarch first.
rituals atop a three-thousand-foot-tall mountain in the city’s center, • Dame Melissa Gahlot. Half-elf bodyguard to the king,
previously known as The Hunchback, but which will forever after known as the Green Knight. By the favor of the fey, she can-
come to be called Cauldron Hill. not die while the sun is not up. She believes she is owed the
Only now, the day before his fiftieth birthday, has the king been crown after Lorcan. Her goal is be named his successor.
motivated to face these witches, because he needs a successor. Ri- • Mayor Roland Stanfield. A deva — one who died in the
suri tradition disapproves of family inheritance of the crown; presence of a goddess centuries ago, and now reincarnates
rulership usually passes to someone worthy, who must be approved after each life. He has served as city mayor of Flint for three
both by the nobility and the common folk. Ending the suffering of centuries. Mechanically he’s the most complicated, which
the townsfolk of Flint is a small matter, but it will give the king’s might appeal to players who like having lots of tricks up their
preferred successor an opportunity for glory. sleeves. His goal is to ensure Amielle Latimer, an agent from
Unexpected allies arrive from across the sea, and King Lorcan Danor, survives and lays the groundwork for a future alliance
does not realize how pivotal this night’s quest will be. with Risur.
• Principal Minister Harkover Lee. A fire-wielding mage who
acts as advisor and supernatural defender of the king. Though
Running the Adventure foreign and mysterious, he is fully loyal to the realm. His
Bonds of Forced Faith is intended as a one-shot, a short and punchy goal, however, is for anyone but Dame Melissa to be named
adventure which you can get through in the span of a four hour con- successor, because he thinks she would be a selfish queen.
vention slot, or a single night’s gaming at home. This adventure can • Godhand Tomas Masaryk. Human holy warrior from a
function as a standalone, or even an introduction to the Zeitgeist foreign faith. His goal is to slay the Red Contessa and recover
setting and adventure path. If it’s 2018 and you’re just now reading or destroy a heretical text she stole. He also believes that
this, you can even run it as a sort of supernatural flashback in the tieflings like Amielle are evil, a fact that might create some
middle of Adventure Eight, Diaspora. discord in the retinue.
The pregenerated characters each have motivations in addition • Amielle Latimer. Tiefling gunsmith from Danor, a nation
to simply wanting to defeat the witches of Cauldron Hill, which recently at war with Risur. She comes to aid the king of
are detailed in the King’s Retinue section below. Since this is a one- Risur with her country’s newly-invented firearms. She hopes
shot, we expect some characters to die spectacularly in the finale, this olive branch will open avenues of trade and industrial
but as long as they achieve their goals they can still feel victorious. investment, so her goal is to be seen as an ally to whoever
For those of you running the full campaign, we’ve made a point ends up monarch.
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2 | EN5ider Presents: Bonds of Forced Faith

Introduction
Their character sheets are at the end of this adventure. Additionally, • Sister Pernicity. Quiet, skinny, with a feigned childish
in the Teaser five of the players will play city guardsmen, who will demeanor, this witch flies in a cauldron and loves burning
die in less than five minutes in a variety of gruesome ways. The people alive. She torments most of the coven’s prisoners, and
remaining pc, the mayor, dies too, but he comes back. the human sacrifices she performs halfway up Cauldron Hill
empower the Red Contessa’s primary ritual at the peak.
The Contessa’s Coven. • The Red Contessa. Beautiful and dark-haired, she wields
Additionally, four main npcs oppose the party. blood magic, a demonic ritual known as Bonds of Forced
• Sister Languor. A local Flinter named Rachel Lang, and Faith, which links her lifeforce to unwilling victims. Her
one of the folk prophets known as skyseers, she joined the goal is to bond herself to the entire city of Flint, and then
witches’ coven for power. She keeps a public face among the force the king to name her his successor. If not granted her
skyseers, but has acted to sabotage those who would oppose wish, she intends to kill thousands.
the coven. She’ll try to lure the king to a trap by feigning When roleplaying the witches, giving them each a unique voice can
peril, and even if “rescued” she’ll provide a false prophecy help to distinguish them. Sister Languor has a deep, droning voice;
and an “elixir of protection” that will actually curse anyone Deliria’s voice warbles like the classic Wicked Witch from The Wiz-
who drinks it. ard of Oz; and Pernicity punctuates every sentence with giggles
• Sister Deliria. A sneaky, beautiful witch with troll minions, that often shift into cackles. The Red Contessa has an accent like an
she commands powers that dull men’s minds or blind them Italian or Eastern European starlet, and her attitude is supremely
with illusions. She is colluding with Sister Languor to try to cocky, her quips biting. She grandstands as a matter of course, and
trick the king. she won’t take anything seriously, even if it looks like she might die.
1. Mayor’s Mansion
The Ayres
2. Cauldron Hill
North Shore
Lower Flint Bay
Parity Lake
Upper Flint Bay 2.
1.
Central District
The Cloudwood
er
iv
R
y
ra
St
EN5ider Presents: Bonds of Forced Faith | 3

Pregenerated Characters for Teaser
Mayor Roland Stanfield Teodore

Deva Mayor Human Witch Hunter
Hit Points 53, Armor Class 13 (studded leather armor) Hit Points 6, Armor Class 14 (leather armor, shield)
Speed 30 ft. Speed 30 ft.
str dex con int wis cha str dex con int wis cha
8 (–1) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 19 (+4) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 11 (+0) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 8 (–1) 9 (–1)
Saving Throws con +4, dex +5, int +7, wis +8 Skills Perception +1
Skills Deception +10, History +7, Medicine +7, Perception +12, Persua- Woodman’s Axe. Melee Weapon Attack: +2
sion +10, Religion +7, Stealth +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8+1
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach slashing damage.
5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6+1 piercing damage.
Deathless Calm. You have resistance to necrotic
and radiant energy, and you cannot be blinded by
bright light.
Memory of Past Lifetimes. Once per day you can
roll 1d4 and add it to one ability check, skill check,
or saving throw of your choice. If you do this for a skill you are not
proficient with, you gain proficiency for the next minute.
Dover Edeo
Human Witch Hunter Human Witch Hunter
Hit Points 6, Armor Class 14 (leather armor, shield) Hit Points 6, Armor Class 14 (leather armor, shield)
13 (+1) 11 (+0) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 8 (–1) 9 (–1) 13 (+1) 11 (+0) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 8 (–1) 9 (–1)
Skills Perception +1 Skills Perception +1
Woodman’s Axe. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 Woodman’s Axe. Melee Weapon Attack: +2
to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8+1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8+1
slashing damage. slashing damage.
Francis Benton
Human Witch Hunter Human Witch Hunter
Hit Points 6, Armor Class 14 (leather armor, shield) Hit Points 6, Armor Class 14 (leather armor, shield)
13 (+1) 11 (+0) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 8 (–1) 9 (–1) 13 (+1) 11 (+0) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 8 (–1) 9 (–1)
Skills Perception +1 Skills Perception +1
Woodman’s Axe. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 Woodman’s Axe. Melee Weapon Attack: +2
to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8+1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8+1
slashing damage. slashing damage.
4 | EN5ider Presents: Bonds of Forced Faith Permission is granted to photocopy this page for personal use only.
Introduction
Adventure Scenes. Next, the king and his retinue must Ascend the Hunchback,
First, in the Teaser, ask which player wants the most mechanically climbing a mountain warded with curses and minor monsters to
complicated character. Hand that player a copy of the brief char- reach a location known as “the hunch,” which is where the only safe
acter sheet of Roland Stanfield (page 4). Hand the other players route to the peak can be accessed. This scene plays as a montage of
the “witch hunter” character sheets (page 4). Run the Teaser until small horrors. Skyseer Lang’s potion does indeed provide protec-
everyone’s dead, killing Stanfield last. tion against some of those dangers. If the king did bring along any
mundane soldiers this climb ought to kill off most of them.
Act One. At the hunch, hostages are kept beside the Pyres of Pernicity.
Hand out the full character sheets (pages 21 et seq.). Let the other The withered Sister Pernicity flies about with eerie, childish delight
players decide whom they’d like to play. Instruct them to read both while the fey and zombies that serve her lash her prisoners to more
sides and to pay attention to the “Starting Interactions” and “Char- pyres. Fighting the witch and her minions becomes complicated
acter Goal” sections. Tell them that even if their character dies, if as they start burning their prisoners alive, and like Languor and
they accomplish their goal, they can consider it a win. Deliria she lays a dying curse on whoever kills her.
Then begin the Briefing, setting the scene at the mayor’s man-
sion, shortly before 6:00 pm, when the characters are about to Act Three.
begin discussing plans for the witches, but are interrupted by the The Final Ascent up the last few hundred feet is a challenging climb
approach of Amielle’s small steamship, Hinc ad Aeternitatem. Let in the best conditions, but howling spirits and supernatural winds
the characters roleplay through sharing the information they have, assail the king and his retinue, wearing them down and possibly
namely that tonight will be a lunar eclipse, and that atop Cauldron leaving some mentally unhinged.
Hill immense magical power will be available, reaching its zenith They find the peak lit up by witchfire as the Red Contessa per-
at 10:47 pm. It should be obvious to all that time is short. forms her Ritual of the Red Moon. She dances in the firelight,
Before they start making plans, the Red Contessa’s Invitation stabbing herself and laughing. When she spots the group she be-
occurs. The chief of police reports that skyseer Rachel Lang fell un- gins monologuing, revealing that in her own twisted way she has
der attack by an angry mob and fled onto the water at Parity Lake. done all this to prove her worthiness to succeed King Lorcan as
Then from a nearby crowd of people, a person compelled by magic monarch of Risur.
slits his own throat, causing a panic. From his blood an image of Since he’ll likely decline to name her his successor, she attacks,
the contessa rises. She bids the king to attend a birthday celebra- aided by an immense serpent-maned lion, minor witches in her coven,
tion she’s throwing at the peak of Cauldron Hill. She’s already lit and various lesser spooks and spirits. She starts combat by animating
candles for him; she directs them to look at the mountain, which is the megalith standing stones and the cauldron itself as allies.
ringed with pyres burning fifty prisoners at the stake. Her cauldron is the focus of a ritual that connects her via bond
The group’s plans will likely take them to the Deception at of forced faith with the whole city of Flint. If her ritual is not dis-
Parity Lake. Skyseer Rachel Lang is actually the witch Sister rupted before the eclipse reaches its maximum, she will become
Languor, and together with her fellow witch Sister Deliria they immortal. She’s impossible to kill while the ritual is in effect, and
have enacted a clever ruse. By imperiling Rachel Lang, Deliria even if it’s stopped, it is possible Rachel Lang’s ruse will mean she’s
hopes to make the king wholly trusting of the prophecy Lang also linked to the party. Defeating the witches will require clever-
offers, which will actually lead the king to his death. If either De- ness, or perhaps capitulation.
liria or Languor are slain, they lay curses upon whomever strikes
the final blow, but if they survive they’ll reappear and aid the Red
Contessa at the peak. Teaser
This first section is meant to be run quickly, more as narration
Act Two. than actual gameplay. The goal is to convey confusion, horror, and
If skyseer Lang is “rescued,” she delivers her Prophecy of the helplessness.
Cracked Cauldron, claiming the only way to shatter the Red Con- Ask which player wants the most complicated pc, then give them
tessa’s blood magic protection is for someone to willingly dive into the simple character sheet for Mayor Stanfield (page 4). Hand ev-
her boiling cauldron, which will shatter it and its magic. Actually, eryone else one of the witch hunter characters (also page 4).
doing so will just cause you to be horribly burned. Lang offers a Read the following text and pause to get die rolls, then announce
potion she has crafted which will protect them from the mountain’s who survives each assault by the witches. Mostly direct the narra-
dark magic, but she could only prepare enough for the retinue, tion toward Mayor Stanfield’s player.
which should deter the king from storming the mountain with an For each of the checks and saves we call for below, any witch
entire army. In truth, the potion is a ruse to link the Red Contessa hunter pc who rolls under 10 dies in the next narrated section. If
to the king and his retinue by bond of forced faith. no one rolls under 10, instead kill whoever rolled lowest. Don’t
Townsfolk are here who look to the king for guidance. He might kill Mayor Stanfield. If all the other pcs are dead, just narrate the
introduce Dame Melissa to them, or rally them to come up the deaths of the rest of the townsfolk who came along, then give Stan-
mountain. They’re not consequential to the victory, but make sure field’s player a chance to respond before the Red Contessa kills him
to mention them so the party feels the city is counting on them. in the final bit of boxed text.

Introduction
Yes, we’re killing pcs during boxed text. (If any non-Stanfield Have the characters make Constitution saves.
characters survive to the final boxed text, they can be rescued later
as hostages by the real pcs.) A cluster of soldiers standing in a ring, their swords brandished bravely,
begin to cough blood and fall to their knees. You still can’t see any attack-
You’ve ascended halfway to the peak, and you can see the evening lights ers, just chaos and confusion and screaming.
of Flint below. You’re nearly to “the hunch,” where the thickly forested
mountain grows suddenly rockier and steeper, but you can already hear Have the characters make Strength saves. If Stanfield fails, go
the drums and wailing chants from the summit. A great fire burns a ahead and entangle him, but don’t kill him yet. Any pcs who sur-
thousand feet above you, and for a moment your mouth waters at the vived this far can be taken prisoner, but the Red Contessa kills the
rich scent of boiled meat, before you remember it’s probably human flesh mayor.
that’s cooking up there.
This mountain used to be called The Hunchback. Now the locals are You hear a scream twenty feet away as shadows reach out from the back-
calling it Cauldron Hill. side of a tree, grab a man, and pull him tight against the trunk, crushing
Mayor Stanfield and forty more armed men go to rescue the hostages, the life from him. Tree branches leap out and grasp others, those who mo-
because you at least are brave. For years, your King refused your calls for ments ago were brave witch hunters, but now scream for salvation. Wet,
help, first too busy with his war across the sea, and now too busy signing mulchy fingers paw at their faces, thorns rip at their skin, blood dribbles
an armistice after he lost. down their arms.
Each of you has seen a friend kidnapped, or a wife, or a son, or a parent. Shadowy humanoids as high as your waist detach from the night and
For decades these kidnappings have been rare — rare enough that people surround the surviving warriors. They leap upon them, pull them down,
dismissed the stories and preferred to ignore the witches. But over the and drag them away screaming.
last few years, while the soldiers have been away, the coven has grown The din of pandemonium dulls, grows quiet, goes silent. The mayor
bold. A dozen were abducted just last night, and if there’s a chance you stands alone. The horrors of Cauldron Hill seem to have spared him
can save them, you’ll not let fear stand in— intentionally.
Everyone please make Perception checks. Torches light up the forest. No, not torches; burning bodies, some wail-
ing. Silhouetted by flames, a trio of female figures walk slowly toward the
When the boxed text mentions someone dying, point to the mayor. Two of them hang back in the shadows, softly chanting, but one
character(s) who failed their roll, to indicate they’ve just died. These steps close.
attacks are loosely modeled on the spells phantasmal killer, circle of Her black hair cascades down to a dress the color of a scab, so tattered
death, and entangle, but simplified to fit the narrative. it looks like it’s been through battle many times.
There is a rustling sound in the trees overhead, and a cackling woman’s Let Stanfield’s player decide what he wants to do. If he runs or talks,
voice streaks through the air. the witches eventually hold or trap him. The text below assumes
When you look back down, one man is on the ground, blood pouring he fights.
from his belly. Another half-dozen are already running. The cackling
swoops over them, and one flies up off the ground screaming, pulled into You plunge your sword through the exposed pale skin above her heart,
the tree canopy. All around you all you can see in the dark are trees, brush, striking what should be a killing blow.
and steep slopes to falls of hundred feet or more. She rolls her eyes, shoves you back into the brambles, and drags the
What do you do? blade out of her ribcage with a grunt. No wound is left behind. She drops
the sword with a muted clang and draws a rusted, jagged knife from her
Give the players a chance to respond for a round or two, but there’s dress. It’s still stained with blood from the last time you saw her.
nothing to attack. Don’t let them get too into planning things. “Sisters,” she says, “you can have the others. I’ve grown fond of killing
If you really like a player’s idea, maybe just have that character this one.”
knocked out and abducted instead of being killed. The knife’s teeth saw the flesh of your neck open. Your blood pours
Have everyone make Wisdom saves. down her arm. She holds you up by your jaw with unnatural strength. Your
vision darkens. Your limbs slack. Your last sensation is hearing your men
A man running beside you stops suddenly, begins to weep, draws a knife, still screaming as they burn.
and then jams it into his throat. Another man shrieks and shoves his
companion off the nearest ledge. A gust of cold wind brushes the back of Pick up everyone’s brief character sheets, and welcome them to to-
your neck, and a voice starts to whisper into your ear, telling you to fling night’s adventure, Bonds of Forced Faith.
yourself off the mountain before the witches can steal your soul.

Act One
t o begin this act, hand out the proper
character sheets (starting on page 21) and let
the players decide who plays whom.
Briefing
Several weeks later, around 6:00 pm, gathered at the mayor’s mansion
island, in a turret overlooking protesting merchants and peasants,
are King Lorcan, his aide Harkover and bodyguard Melissa, Mayor
Stanfield, and Tomas, a foreign advisor from the nation of Crisillyir
to the east. Everyone assumes they’ll be waiting until tomorrow to National Flag of Danor.
attack, because tonight’s lunar eclipse is a bad omen.
Amielle is not present yet. The Red Contessa’s blood simulacrum speaks:
Give the players ample time to read both sides of their character “Greetings, people of Flint.
sheets. Encourage the players to pay close attention to the Suggest- “No one cares about you! You’re more chattel to your king than you
ed Starting Interactions and Character Goal sections. Tell them are to me, and I’ve been sticking your children in a black pot and cooking
that even if their character dies, if they accomplish their goal, they them alive for thirty years.
can consider it a win. “Well, the time has come to change all that! I am your queen now, and
Once everyone is ready, they can read their character description, a queen treats her subjects well. The abductions shall stop! Anyway, we
but before formal introductions begin, shouting from all across the don’t need more hostages; we have too many already.”
island draws everyone’s attention out the window. A ship is sail- She gestures up to the mountain top, and a line of fires are shining
ing into harbor — no, not sailing, churning with some grumbling there. People being burned alive.
mechanism that belches black smoke and white steam in its wake. “Shush, king. I have no words for you that will speak louder than the
It flies both a white flag, and the flag of Danor. sound my boot will make crushing your skull against the stone of my
As the ship nears the island, they can make out its name: Hinc mountain. You’re an old man, and so I’ve lit candles for your birthday.
ad Aeternitatem. A steam-powered runabout embarks and carries Come if you dare. I’ll let you bow to me in fealty.
Amielle to the island. “Now, my subjects, ask yourselves. Who will better protect you? A king
Let the group meet and roleplay. When the time is right and who has already lost a war, who has let his enemies sail into your very har-
everyone has shared the information in their Suggested Starting In- bor? Or a queen who burns those who offend her? Let me demonstrate.”
teractions, a commotion heralds the arrival of Flint’s chief of police. A few hundred feet away, with no other warning, the Danoran vessel
explodes, vanishing in a cloud of white. Uncontained steam from the
Red Contessa’s Invitation. boiler launches timbers and metal shards through the air. The remnants
of the boat catch fire and crumple. But over the roar of its destruction
The chief of police bows to the king, nods to his mayor, and glowers at you can hear the witch laughing as her blood simulacrum fades away.
the tiefling.
“I have news, my king. The skyseer Rachel Lang was supposed to come It’s shortly after 6:00 pm, and the characters don’t have much time
to present you a vision concerning the witches, and when she didn’t arrive to formulate a plan. While they talk, the fifty “birthday candles”
on time I sent out men to check the city. A runner just came back. He that ring the hunch of Cauldron Hill slowly smolder and die.
says he saw Rachel Lang and her acolytes fleeing a mob along the shore
of Parity Lake. Lang yelled at him to get help, and then they shoved off on Deception at Parity Lake.
a small boat. The water should protect them for a short while, but it won’t The obvious hook is to go rescue skyseer Rachel Lang and investi-
be long before the mob finds boats of their own.” gate the mob threatening her.
And before the police chief can explain anymore either, screams sound If the party decides to head straight for the mountain, they’ll
from the crowd of protesters surrounding the governor’s mansion. A fig- actually spare themselves a fair bit of grief, though you might want
ure in the crowd has brandished a dagger high, and he removes his hood, to have Sisters Languor and Deliria follow them up and harass the
tilts his head up, and plunges the blade into his throat. People scatter, and group as they ascend to Pernicity’s Hut.
the blood pours out onto the ground. The blood slowly rises up, waving its
hands to forestall any hysterical reactions like attacking it.

Act One
The Goal. Eclipse Chronology.

Sisters Deliria and Languor were tasked by the Red Contessa to 7:26 pm Sunset
distract King Lorcan and keep him away from her ritual tonight. 8:13 pm Penumbra darkens moon
If that can’t be achieved, they’re instead to try to trick him into 9:12 pm Partial eclipse
willingly undergoing the bond of forced faith ritual. This will 10:13 pm Full eclipse
cause the Contessa’s wounds to be dealt instead to the king, as 10:47 pm Maximum eclipse
well as anyone else she’s bonded to. While the ritual only is ef- It takes about half an hour to reach Parity Lake on horseback. It
fective if the subject is within 250 feet of the focus, it can remain will take about half an hour to reach a path to ascend Cauldron Hill, so
dormant for hours. the sun should just be starting to set, probably (a little after 7:00 pm).
Languor has long operated in the open with her alternate identi- It takes another hour to climb to the hunch where Pernicity’s Hut
ty as the skyseer Rachel Lang. A respected prophet, she uses visions holds hostages (so probably 8:00 pm). We assume the king and his
that she sees in the night sky to help people around the city. retinue will take a short rest here, spending an hour treating wounds
Deliria disguised herself as a local officiant — Husky Pete, beadle and preparing for the final ascent.
of the North Shore district — then convinced people Rachel Lang Climbing from the hunch to the peak takes at least another hour
is a witch. He led an angry mob to drive her out onto the waters of (so probably 10:00 pm). Cleverness might shave time off. There is
Parity Lake. not much time to spare, because if the party doesn’t stop the ritual
Of course, Rachel Lang actually is a witch, but when Husky Pete by 10:47 pm, the Contessa will be permanently bonded to Flint, and
is revealed to be the witch Sister Deliria, this should make the king impossible to kill.
completely trust Lang. No one suspects the double bluff. If the pcs want five soldiers to accompany them, they’re ready
immediately. Twenty soldiers takes 15 minutes. One hundred soldiers
The Scene. takes an hour. Soldiers have the same stats as Flint witch hunters,
Parity Lake today is a bit of a swamp, with few boat launches. A and will almost all die ascending the mountain.
mob of sixty people has gathered in a forest clearing near a shore-
line thick with reeds. A pair of archers stand at the end of a short
dock, shooting flaming arrows at the skyseer, but they’re almost out Witch Hexes.
of ammo and are terrible shots at this range. The witches, as a coven, share a lot of the same powers. In fact, De-
By the time the king and his retinue arrive, Rachel Lang and a liria, Languor, and Pernicity vary only in their voice, their weapon of
half-dozen innocent skyseer acolytes have piled onto a boat and are choice, their preferred curse, and what magic item they carry. (Also,
floating a couple hundred feet off-shore. Languor doesn’t have bond of forced faith on her.)
The mob only has one modest 25-ft. boat that could carry ten The Red Contessa has many of the same powers, plus a few legend-
people, and they’re not confident enough to attack with so few. A ary actions.
thick knot of townsfolk in the center of the mob are arguing about You’ll want to familiarize yourself with the mechanics of the
whether it’d be faster to chop down trees and lash together a raft, witches, and with each witch’s preferred curses. The witches’ tor-
or go find and steal a boat from somewhere else along the shore. turous curse ability—in addition to having longer range and dealing
The whole ordeal is being led by Sister Deliria, draped in an illu- damage—functions like casting bestow curse with a 5th-level spell slot,
sion that makes her appear as a balding, jowled man. Froth on his and so the curse lasts 8 hours without requiring the witch to maintain
lips, he distracts the crowd with chants of “Drown the witch,” and concentration.
“Skyseer? More like lie-seer!”
Sister Deliria has bond of forced faith active on twenty people in Her next action is to wag a finger at Harkover Lee while rasp-
the crowd (whom she tricked with enthrall a few hours ago), and ing, “No fire for you, old man”; this is a use of torturous curse to
two trolls that are loyal to her hide in the reeds under the dock inflict her preferred curse of amateur’s amnesia, aimed at making
(Perception dc 16 to detect if someone checks under the dock). the minister unable to use fire magic.
The trolls erupt from the water beside the boat. One grabs and
Watery Trap. drags the hexed character into the water, while the other clambers
Deliria-as-Pete will thank the king for arriving and offer the pcs a onto the dock and keeps the rest of the retinue from saving the
boat so they can go slay the witch Rachel Lang. “Pete” claims that drowning victim.
he asked the skyseer for advice and that she then cast a spell on him Deliria isn’t left without options if her tactics fail, though; she is
that filled him with agony. He fled and rounded up an angry mob, ready to fight for a bit longer, then she will run. After seeing how
and they chased Lang onto the river. her opening moves turn out, she casts phantasmal killer on whoever
If the retinue opts for the boat, it lies at the end of a 20-ft. dock is attacking her, then on each turn after that she casts a different
surrounded by neck-deep water filled with reeds. Deliria waits on curse at the gm’s discretion, aiming to maximize damage and chaos
the shore; when the first player character gets into the boat, she over gaining any real tactical advantage. She only uses her dagger
opens combat by casting hex as a bonus action to impose disadvan- for opportunity attacks. When her buffer of temporary hit points
tage on that character’s Strength. She cackles, “Weak-minded and is depleted, she’ll use raven’s flight to get away. She’ll then flee up
weak-limbed. Drown them, my pretties!” the mountain.

Act One
Mechanics of the Bond. Foes at Parity Lake.

The ritual bond of forced faith functions similar to the spell warding • 2 Deliria’s trolls
bond, but takes longer and is much more powerful. • Sister Deliria
Those whose life forces are linked to the target of the ritual must
shed a drop of their blood into a cup of milk, which the target must Deliria’s Trolls (2)
drink. For several hours thereafter, the target gains a boost to her Large giant, chaotic evil
physical stats, and damage dealt to her is first divided equally among Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
those whose blood was contained in the milk, as long as they are Hit Points 84 (8d10+40)
within 250 ft. Round up the damage, but the distributed total is never Speed 30 ft.
higher than the original amount. str dex con int wis cha
For example, if the Red Contessa is bonded with five of the pcs, 18 (+4) 13 (+1) 20 (+5) 7 (–2) 4 (–3) 4 (–3)
and an attack would deal 8 damage to her, three pcs would take 2 Skills Perception +0
damage, and two would take 1 damage. She would take no damage as Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
long as any of the pcs bonded to her were alive. Languages Giant
For simplicity’s sake, the witches other than the Red Contessa are Challenge 5 (1,800 xp)
simply given a buffer of temporary hitpoints in their statblock. While Hallucinatory Break. The first time a creature deals damage to the troll,
they have these temporary hp, hits that would wound instead kill the attacker must make a Wisdom save (dc 10) or have his senses de-
some of the people around them. luded by an illusion. He perceives the troll to be an innocent bystander,
Simply hacking at the witch will kill a lot of innocents. You need who appears to die horribly from the attack. The creature thereafter
to either move the witch away from the people, or subdue her. She’s thinks the “troll” is gone, and cannot perceive the troll. At the end of
still vulnerable to conditions, and drowning works fine. For simplicity’s each of its turns the creature can make a new save to overcome the
sake, we have each witch bonded to twenty people, each of whom illusion. If the troll attacks it, the illusion ends automatically before the
provides 10 temporary hit points. Getting those people out of range attack roll is made.
reduces the witch’s hp buffer. Particularly utilitarian pcs might sim- Keen Smell. The troll has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks
ply fireball the whole crowd and clear out the people in one go. that rely on smell.
If all of the creatures bonded to a witch die or move out of range, Regeneration. The troll regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn. If
she has disadvantage on all Strength checks and melee attack rolls, the troll takes acid or fire damage, this trait doesn’t function at the
and her melee weapon attacks do half damage. start of the troll’s next turn. The troll dies only if it starts its turn with
Viewed by detect magic, the ritual detects as an abjuration, but this 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate.
is part of an illusion woven into the magic. If someone examining its Actions
magical aura uses an action to look for inconsistencies, he can make Multiattack. The troll makes three attacks: one bite and two claws. In
an Intelligence (Investigation) check (dc 18) to realize it’s actually a place of a claw attack, it can attempt to grab a creature smaller than it.
potent combined illusion, necromancy, and transmutation effect, ef- Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7
fectively a 9th level spell. (1d6+4) piercing damage.
Note that due to Amielle’s family immunity to curses, she cannot Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11
be affected by bond of forced faith. (2d6+4) piercing damage.

Act One
The Witches’ Curses.

All the witches in this adventure who can use curses can use the fol-
lowing curses using their torturous curse ability.
• Brainless. The affected creature cannot communicate with any-
thing more than gestures, grunts, and gibberish, nor understand
other people’s linguistic communications. This does not prevent
spellcasting.
• Cowardly Lion. If the affected creature is adjacent to an enemy
Sister and none of its allies are also adjacent to that enemy, the affected
Deliria creature is frightened of the enemy (taking disadvantage on
ability checks and attack rolls against that enemy).
• Heartless. The affected creature cannot heal.
• Prey for the Coven. Attacks made by and spells cast by members
of the coven deal an extra 1d6 necrotic damage to the affected
creature. Natural animals are spooked by the affected creature.
Sister Deliria
Medium humanoid (human), chaotic evil
Hit Points 63 plus 200 temporary hit points
Armor Class 12
Speed 30 ft.
str dex con int wis cha
20 (+5) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 10 (+0) 16 (+3)
Saving Throws wis +4, cha +7
Skills Arcana +5, Deception +7, Perception +4, Stealth +5 Actions
Condition Immunities charmed Sacrificial Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14 target. Hit: 7 (1d4+5) piercing damage. The target must make a
Languages Common, Giant Constitution save (dc 15) or fall prone from sudden wracking pain.
Challenge 9 (5,000 xp) Raven’s Flight. The witch transforms into a Tiny raven, with a fly speed
Bond of Forced Faith. Sister Deliria is bonded to twenty people, who of 50 ft. She immediately dashes that speed. She can only use this
each grant her 10 temporary hit points. If they move beyond 250 ft., ability once per day.
she loses these temporary hit points. As long as she has any of these Torturous Curse. One creature within 30 ft. makes a Wisdom saving
temporary hit points, damage she takes does not disrupt her concen- throw (dc 15). If it fails, the witch deals 16 (3d10) necrotic damage
tration on spells. If she has no more temporary hit points, she has to that creature, and then the witch bestows a curse on the creature.
disadvantage on all Strength checks and melee attack rolls, and her After using this power, the witch cannot attempt to curse the same
melee weapon attacks do half damage. creature until she takes a short or long rest.
Dying Curse. As long as the Red Contessa controls the peak of Cauldron The witches have a shared suite of common curses (see sidebar
Hill, whenever Sister Deliria is reduced to 0 hit points her body above), and each witch has one personal, preferred curse. Choose one
convulses and a ragged black ghost flies free from her mouth, streaking available curse, which lasts until the coven is defeated or until it is
toward the mountain. Whoever attacked or damaged her in the last broken by remove curse.
round must make a Wisdom save (dc 15) or be stunned for one round A creature afflicted by a torturous curse can spend an action to fight
by the screaming and cackling. the curse. Taking this action allows that creature to ignore the effect of
Additionally, creatures who failed the save are affected by the prey the curse until the end of its next turn, after which the curse takes hold
of the coven curse, if it isn’t already under the effect of that curse. again.
Spellcasting. Sister Deliria has two spell slots available to cast any of the • Preferred Curse: Amateur’s Amnesia. Affected creatures are unable
following spells. The save dc is 15, and all the spells are cast as if with a to remember the thing they do the best — for example, for Harkover
5th-level slot. These slots replenish after a short or long rest. Lee this is fire magic; for King Lorcan this is how to fight with a
Spells Prepared (2 slots): cloud of daggers, cure wounds, dispel magic, sword. Affected creatures simply cannot take actions having to do
entangle, hallucinatory terrain, hex, phantasmal killer, remove curse, with their signature talent, as determined by the gm.
suggestion, witch bolt Magic Items Deliria wears a hat of disguise.

Act Two
D efeated, Deliria curses her killers
and flees; then, Rachel Lang returns to
shore. The confused mob has fled in panic.

mountain becomes much steeper for the final thousand feet up to
the peak. She assumed those prisoners were doomed and would be
hurled into the cauldron, but if the king insists on bravely attacking
during the blood moon, perhaps they could be spared ritual sacrifice.
Again, Lang is just trying to appear helpful and cooperative, and
wants to offer more warnings in order to distract any suspicions
that her request for blood is a trick.
The Cracked Cauldron
Rachel, in her relaxed, languid style, thanks the pcs for rescuing Failed Trick.
her and her acolytes. She reports that she was on her way to share a Unlike her sisters, Lang does not have bond of forced faith active, so
vision when the mob drove them onto the lake. She offers what little she’s loath to risk combat, but she needs to get at least a sample of
healing magic she has left to the king (which gives her an oppor- King Lorcan’s blood. If the party sees through Lang’s lies, she has
tunity to wipe away any blood the king may have shed; see below). two backup options.
After casting two cure wounds spells (each restores 4d8+3 hit First, if she was able to tend the king’s wounds, she makes sure to
points), she recounts her vision: get some of the king’s blood into her sleeve or on a rag. If the king
took any damage from slashing or piercing attacks, that’s enough
“Blood coats the peak of the mountain, pouring out of a cauldron scorched for her to get a drop of blood.
black with fire. Body after body is dragged into that pot, and the victims Failing that, she can try one last gambit. She casts cloud of dag-
scream and die and lend their blood to the cascade, while their terrified gers (as a 5th-level spell) to try to get King Lorcan to bleed. If she
souls seep into the stone of the mountain. Then blood falls from the moon, survives until her next turn she soaks the king’s blood into her
raining across the entire city, and the eyes of a countess watch from every sleeve or a rag, then uses raven’s flight to flee.
pool of moonlight. It is not safe to attack tonight!
“When the moon is near setting, and the glow of dawn waits to appear, Sister Languor
the cauldron is unguarded, the coven exhausted and sleeping after their Medium humanoid (human), chaotic evil
night of revelry. And a figure steps willingly into the boil and the bubble. Armor Class 12
By that selfless sacrifice, the fire turns to ice, the cascade stops, the blood Hit Points 63
fades away. And then the sun rises, the witches turn to stone, and the Speed 30 ft.
mountain is purified.” str dex con int wis cha
10 (+0) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 10 (+0) 16 (+3)
This false vision might fool the group if not for Amielle’s warning. Saving Throws wis +4, cha +7
But if the king insists on continuing up the mountain, Rachel says Skills Arcana +5, Deception +7, Perception +4, Stealth +5
she can cast a spell that will protect them. She has a gourd of milk Condition Immunities charmed
which she fills with herbs, and she asks each of them to shed a drop Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
of blood into it. She says the purity of the milk will protect them Dying Curse. See Deliria’s ability of the same name (page 10).
from the witches’ blood magic. She’ll stay down at ground level and Spellcasting. See Deliria’s ability of the same name (page 10).
pray over the gourd to keep the ward active. Challenge 5 (1,800 xp)
Lang has tried to think of anything that might give away her Actions
ruse, and she’s quite convincing (Insight dc 22). [By the way, we Staff of Withering. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
didn’t give any of the pcs Insight for this very reason.] Nevertheless, target. Hit: 5 (1d8) bludgeoning damage. The staff has three charges,
pcs might understandably be wary of giving anyone their blood. and Sister Languor can spend one charge when she hits an enemy to
A character who presses for details of the magic can make an deal an extra 11 (2d10) necrotic damage. In addition, the target must
Arcana check. A result that beats dc 10 realizes the magic will in- succeed a dc 15 Constitution saving throw or suffer disadvantage
deed provide magical defenses. A dc 25 result, however, is enough for 1 hour on any ability check or saving throw that uses Strength or
to realize that the spell does more than she’s saying. Constitution.
Raven’s Flight. This functions as Deliria’s ability of the same name.
Successful Trick. Torturous Curse. This functions as Deliria’s ability of the same name
If the party falls for this, Rachel promises that she and her acolytes (see page 10), except Sister Languor has a different preferred curse.
will head to safety and begin praying over the gourd in an hour, • Preferred Curse: Layabout’s Lethargy. Sister Languor prefers to
after which the king’s ascent will be blessed. curse foes with laziness. Affected creatures have disadvantage on
She mentions that she also glimpsed in her vision prisoners Dexterity-based checks and saves and always roll a 1 for initiative.
trapped in cages at “the hunch,” where the gentle slope of the Magic Items Languor carries a staff of withering.

Act Two
“I see you. I do hope Roland is here again. Don’t worry. Just because their
bodies are stiff doesn’t mean they’ve forgotten how you got them killed.”
At this point, she dispatches the undying spirits (see below) to

find and attack them. They’ll arrive within two minutes. The party
takes a –5 penalty on Dexterity (Stealth) checks if they want to hide
from these monsters.
If the party is hidden from the Contessa’s scrying, though, the
corpse hangs inert, though its eyes are slit open, giving an eerie
sense it’s watching them. If someone disturbs the body, it slumps
forward and a serpent in the corpse’s abdomen lunges out. Make
Sister the following attack.
Languor
Hidden Adder. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 1 piercing damage and the target must make a dc 10 Constitution
save. On a successful save the target takes 5 poison damage. On a
failed save the target takes 5 poison damage, and each round thereafter
must make another save. Each subsequent failure deals less damage
Ascend the Hunchback (4, then 3, then 2, then 1). If the target fails all five saves, the target is
It takes about an hour to reach the base of the path up Cauldron poisoned until he or she completes a long rest.
Hill. Remind the pcs what time it is (it is most likely 7:00 pm, just
before sunset, if they spent time to help rescue Rachel Lang). At a A half-dozen more of these scarecrows dot the path up to the hunch.
safe pace it would take two hours to reach the “hunch,” and another
two to reach the peak. This is not the time for a safe pace. My Death, Your Death.
Scores of shadowy undead roam the mountainside, though the
Effect of the Gourd. area’s vast enough that only five will come upon the party. As they
As the party starts climbing the mountain, if they fell for Rachel near the hunch, or if they are spotted near the Contessa’s blood
Lang’s deception they are indeed granted some small protection by pools, characters who make Perception checks (dc 16) notice a chill
the prayers of her acolytes. They are immune to poison and have and the presence of a mysterious “something” while the spirits are
resistance to cold damage, which is enough to shield them from still a hundred feet away.
exposure for the duration of their climb. This is a unique abjuration If the party is being stealthy already, or is alerted and decides
effect, which helps mask the aura of the bond of forced faith the Red to hide, have everyone in the retinue make a Dexterity (Stealth)
Contessa casts upon them. check (dc 10) to slip past the spirits. If three or more fail, the spirits
hone in on their location, forcing a second check (dc 15) to slip past
First Ascent. them. If three or more people fail the second time, the spirits attack.
To abstractly represent the party climbing a few thousand feet in a They completely ignore Mayor Stanfield, because the Red Contessa
hurry, each pc must make a Strength (Athletics) check (dc 10) or likes to kill him herself.
take 1d6 damage, plus an additional 1d6 for every 5 points they fail If the party brought along guards or soldiers, the spirits almost
by. Then each character must make a Constitution saving throw certainly spot such a large group, and they target the cannon fod-
(dc 5) or suffer a level of exhaustion. This exhaustion goes away if der first.
the character takes a short rest.
Clever ideas — like the king reshaping land to clear barricades Tortured to Death.
in particularly tricky spots — might grant the retinue a +5 bonus to An undying spirit manifests when the victim of a ritual sacrifice is
their checks. If the group is traveling without light sources, those magically compelled at the moment of death to forget everything
without darkvision take a -10 penalty to their Strength checks. but the manner of his demise. Thereafter the spirits serve the one
who killed them, hoping for release from their endless memories
Watchful Scarecrows. of death. These oily vestiges of a soul resemble animate shadows
During this ascent, the retinue comes upon one of the witch hunt- until they get within reach of a living creature, at which point the
ers who was captured in the teaser. He’s lashed to a tree, and is quite darkness peels away, revealing a pale, wispy figure that resembles
dead, with his gut torn open and slits cut from his eyes down his the spirit’s form in life. It screams or begs as it reaches out, trying
cheeks to his throat. to anchor itself to a living creature.
His blood has pooled at his feet, and if Harkover Lee hasn’t used
his black gem or if someone approaches the corpse outside the gem’s Foes on the Ascent.
radius, the Contessa’s voice trills happily from the scab of a pool • 5 undying spirits
beneath him.

Act Two
Undying Spirits (5) dc 20 for those without darkvision) to navigate the rough terrain.
Medium undead, chaotic evil Failure deals damage as above. Then a Dexterity (Stealth) check
Armor Class 12 (dc 10) lets them sneak up to Pernicity’s hut, or bypass it entirely,
Hit Points 22 depending on whether they want to rescue the prisoners.
Speed 40 ft.
str dex con int wis cha Pyres of Pernicity.
6 (–2) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 10 (+0) 8 (–1) 9 (–1) Pernicity’s hut sits in a small clearing near a perilous cliff edge.
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, Nearby cages hold more prisoners. Between the hut and the cages,
piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons a pentagram is burned into the ground, and a number of tiny dark
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison fey — red-eyed, gnome-like beings, their ears curled like devil horns —
Condition Immunities exhaustion, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, are tossing charred bodies into a pile atop the pentagram. The fey
restrained, unconscious carry small covered lanterns, which bob and flash like will-o-wisps.
Skills Stealth +4 (+6 in dim light or darkness) Tiny and adorable Sister Pernicity sits inside a scorched cauldron
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9 atop the pile of corpses, humming and swishing her fingers along
Incorporeal Movement. The spirit can move through other creatures and to a Hall of the Mountain King-esque tune. Given a couple minutes,
objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage she finishes the song, then leans into her cauldron, which magically
if it ends its turn inside an object. glides to her hut. She grins to her fey and says:
Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the spirit can take the
Hide action as a bonus action. “Little hellions, go and lash me some more poor souls to the pyres. I want
Challenge 1 (200 xp) to give the king a good kick in the groin when he arrives. Oh, but pick the
Actions ones I marked. Don’t want to let the good meat go to waste.”
Frigid Grasp. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 10 (3d6) cold damage. This damage never kills a creature, since Pernicity’s plan is to have half a dozen live prisoners lashed to poles,
the spirit wants to take people alive. The target must make a Strength which are primed with oil and pyrotechnic powder to ignite in an in-
check (dc 8) or be grabbed. stant. The fey await her order, at which they set the innocents alight,
Relive Death. If the undying spirit has a creature grabbed, that creature which Pernicity hopes will distract King Lorcan and his crew and
must make a Wisdom save (dc 9) or be stunned for one round as it draw them to the cliff side. She’d quite love to send the king careen-
experiences how the spirit died. This is a fear effect, and can affect ing down a thousand-foot drop to shatter on the woods below.
other undying spirits (such as if Tomas Masaryk’s divine vessel ability
lets him dominate one). Rescuing Prisoners.
The dark fey drag six people out of the cage farthest from the cliff
Second Ascent. face, and then over the course of five minutes they drag the poor,
To make it all the way to the hunch, more climbing is in order. But whimpering men to the pyres and tie them up. During this, they’re
first, during this climb the air whips up in irregular, moaning fairly oblivious (passive Perception 5). This leaves seven prisoners
gusts; and red eyes watch from distant tree branches that buck in in that cage, and thirteen in the cage closer to Pernicity’s hut. These
the tempest. Barely glimpsed gremlins giggle as they dash at the are the twenty people Pernicity is linked to with bond of forced faith.
edge of the party’s vision. The air grows intensely cold and clouds
descend to grip and blind the party. Minion Tactics.
Each pc must make a Constitution save (dc 10) or suffer a level The pile of corpses Pernicity sat on in the pentagram are actually all
of exhaustion from the cold and climb. If the party is protected by zombies under her control. They remain inert until she’s attacked,
Lang’s magic, the dc is only 5. at which point she’ll hover over them and order them to swarm
Then as before, each pc must make a Strength (Athletics) check her foes. Since they’re prone and staggered, the party has at least
(dc 10) or take 1d6 damage, plus an additional 1d6 for every 5 a round before they’ll be attacked, but since they’ve already been
points he failed by. burned alive, fire can’t do much more to them.
One dark fey rushes to set the bonfires alight. This requires the
Churrascaria. creature to spend an action to light the pyrotechnic powder. There-
As the party nears the hunch, the fog begins to clear as the enticing after the bonfire flashes brightly, though in the first round the fire
scent of cooking meat reaches their noses. A half-dozen burning does no damage. One round later the bonfire does 1 damage to the
stakes light up a section of forest a few hundred feet ahead, but lashed victim, and in subsequent rounds the victim takes 3 (1d6)
seem to be surrounded by darkness on one side. At further examina- fire damage and creates a cloud of smoke in a 20-ft. radius that
tion, the fires sit at the edge of a steep cliff face, beside a thousand provides concealment. Each victim has 10 hit points.
foot drop. Beyond them looms the hunch, where the relatively flat Meanwhile, the other fey will try to use their bonfire gusts to
wooded slope becomes much steeper and rocky for the final ascent. drive the pcs, either off the cliff or into the horde of zombies. If
At this distance, the party has the option of snuffing their light multiple zombies start their turn adjacent to a pc, they will try to
and sneaking up — requiring a Strength (Athletics) check (dc 10; cooperate to knock the pc prone (see “Grab or Shove”).

Act Two

Act Two
Pernicity’s Tactics. Cauldron Hill Dark Fey (8)

Pernicity opens by targeting Tomas with torturous curse. She snick- Small fey, chaotic evil
ers, “Pretty boy’s too serious!” and attempts to inflict her preferred Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
curse, madman’s mirth. She follows with a bonus action to hex some- Hit Points 9
one else, probably Dame Melissa, to sap her Strength. She then flies Speed 30 ft.
up to thirty feet above the battle, preferably among trees to get cover. str dex con int wis cha
The next turn she swoops around the battle cackling for a moment 6 (–2) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 8 (–1) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)
before going silent to hide. The following turn she’ll dive in and use Skills Stealth +4 (+6 in dim light or darkness)
her scythe to slash and pick up the target she hexed. She’ll carry Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
them up into the air and then release them for extra falling damage. Challenge ½ (100 xp)
Thereafter she swoops through trees, using torturous curse or Spooky. The fey can innately cast minor illusion at will, requiring no
swiping her scythe at isolated foes. If her zombies manage to grab components, but can only create sound. Spending an action to make an
and drag down someone, she squeals with glee, flies above them, Intelligence (Investigation) check (dc 9) reveals the sound is illusory.
and casts witch bolt (as a 5th level spell). Seriously, this spell is so Actions
hard to use effectively, so this is her one chance to make it work. Flaming Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
When her buffer of temporary hit points is gone she sneers and Hit: 7 (2d6) fire damage. If the target is a creature or flammable object,
flies away in her cauldron. it ignites. Until a creature takes an action to douse the fire, it takes
3 (1d6) fire damage at the end of each of its turns.
Foes at the Hunch. Bonfire Gust. Once per day the fey can create a flaming gust, similar
• Sister Pernicity to a combined burning hands and thunderwave. Creatures in a 15-ft.
• 8 Cauldron Hill dark fey cone must make a Dexterity save (dc 9) and Constitution save (dc 9).
• 20 burnt zombies They take 10 (3d6) fire damage on a failed Dexterity save, or half on a
successful save; and they are pushed 10 feet on a failed Constitution
Sister Pernicity save. (The dark fey aren’t resistant to fire themselves, but they’re a bit
Medium humanoid (human), chaotic evil cavalier about avoiding hitting each other.)
Armor Class 12 Equipment covered lantern (illuminates 10 ft., 20 ft. dim light)
Hit Points 63 plus 200 temporary hit points
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. Burnt Zombies (20)
str dex con int wis cha Medium undead, neutral evil
20 (+5) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) Armor Class 8
Saving Throws Wisdom +4, Charisma +7 Hit Points 22
Skills Arcana +5, Deception +7, Perception +4, Stealth +5 Speed 20 ft.
Condition Immunities charmed str dex con int wis cha
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14 13 (+1) 6 (–2) 16 (+3) 3 (–4) 6 (–2) 5 (–3)
Challenge 9 (5,000 xp) Saving Throws wis +0
Bond of Forced Faith. See Deliria’s ability of the same name (page 10). Damage Resistances fire
Dying Curse. See Deliria’s ability of the same name (page 10). Damage Immunities poison
Spellcasting. See Deliria’s ability of the same name (page 10). Condition Immunities poisoned
Actions Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8
Carrying Scythe. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Challenge ¼ (50 xp)
Hit: 12 (2d6+5) slashing damage. If Pernicity keeps moving this turn, Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the zombie to 0 hit points, the
she and the target make opposed Strength (Athletics) checks. If she zombie makes a Constitution saving throw (dc 5 + damage taken),
succeeds, Pernicity moves the target with her and then releases it at unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the
the end of her turn zombie drops to 1 hit point instead.
Raven’s Flight. This functions as Deliria’s ability of the same name. Actions
Torturous Curse. This functions as Deliria’s ability of the same name Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
(see page 10), except Sister Pernicity has a different preferred curse. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) bludgeoning damage.
• Preferred Curse — Madman’s Mirth. Sister Pernicity curses foes Grab or Shove. The zombies sometimes cooperate in a rudimentary way
with insane laughter. The victim has disadvantage on Deception, to knock a target prone. If they choose to do this, one zombie makes a
Influence, Intimidation, and Stealth checks due to constant chortling Strength (Athletics) check to grapple, which the target can oppose with
and giggling. Additionally, the first time the victim takes damage in Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) as usual. Once a zombie
each encounter, he falls prone in a sudden fit of inexplicable laughter has a target grappled, another zombie will make a shove attack (same
at the pain. procedure) to knock it prone. Then additional zombies will surround
Magic Items Pernicity rides around in a magic cauldron that functions the prone target and attack with advantage. (A grappled creature can’t
like carpet of flying with speed of 60 ft. stand up; it must escape the grapple first.)

Act Three
i f any hostages survived Sister Pernicity’s
tender ministrations, there’s no point having
them come along, though some offer. They profusely

Sister
Pernicity
thank the king and his retinue for saving them, but
most are too terrified and exhausted to try moving un-
til dawn. They know that more people were dragged
up to the peak during the day, though, so the pcs can
easily guess that the Red Contessa will have hostages
of her own.
Final Ascent. Ritual of the Red Moon.

There are few traversable routes up from the hunch, for the moun- The pinnacle of Cauldron Hill teeters upward to a pair of flat pla-
tain here is perilously steep, with only sparse foliage. For a moment, teaus separated by about forty feet, with a truly precipitous drop to
the king and his retinue might enjoy the stunning moonlit vista of the north and west and a rough but climbable slope to the south and
Flint stretching out below them to the coast. But it’s likely that pen- east. The Red Contessa and her minions congregate on the west-
umbra begins to darken the moon’s face. The king and his retinue ern plateau, centered on a cauldron surrounded by standing stones.
might spare the time to take a short rest, treat their wounds, and Those minions include a serpent-maned lion and a handful of lesser
break some curses, but then they must hurry upward. witches, all of them spinning and cavorting to harness the energy
As they ascend from Pernicity’s hut, unearthly gales howl around of the blood moon. If Rachel Lang tricked or escaped the party, she
the mountain, and sometimes those howls sound more like beasts appears here, hooded as Sister Languor. Likewise, Sisters Deliria
than the wind. It is an hour-long, mind-eroding cacophony, and and Pernicity attend the ritual if they have survived.
each pc who does not take precautions must make a Wisdom save Eight devilish fey like those at the Hunch patrol the base of the
(dc 12) or suffering disadvantage on their other ability checks and plateaus (passive Perception 10), each holding a covered lantern
saves during the climb. This is a fear effect. Possible precautions that illuminates out 10 feet, with 20 ft. of dim light. These are really
include crafting earplugs (Medicine dc 12 per pc), distracting just here for the party to be able to hew through and feel bad-ass,
the group from the sound (Performance dc 17), or reciting pro- but if they want to be sneaky they’ll have to come up with a way
tective chants (Religion dc 17). One successful precaution grants to keep the lanterns from shattering (like by having King Lorcan
advantage to the save. Two or more successful precautions yield an shoot a fey and Harkover grab the lantern with mage hand ).
automatic success. The Contessa is laughing and dancing around her cauldron.
Then there’s the matter of actually reaching the peak alive. The Her dress is torn from numerous puncture marks, and she holds a
last few hundred feet call for each pc to make a Constitution save bloody dagger which she has been using to stab herself, to the tor-
(dc 12) or suffer a level of exhaustion from the cold and climb. If the ment of her hostages, who sit on the eastern plateau, guarded by a
party is protected by Lang’s magic, the dc is only 7. pair of undying spirits. Their hands are bound by rope, and another
Then each pc must make a Strength (Climb) check (dc 15) or rope threads all twenty of them into a single awkward mass, mak-
take 1d6 damage, plus an additional 1d6 for every 5 points they ing it impossible for them to slip away.
fail by. As before, grant bonuses for cleverness and penalties for However, those prisoners are only red herrings. If it’s 8:13 or
darkness. later, the Contessa’s ritual has taken hold, and she has bonded to
After about an hour of blood-chilling climbing, the mountain’s everyone in the city. If she’s able to let the ritual run its course
crest flattens slightly, and the party spots a fire burning beneath until the lunar eclipse reaches totality at 10:47, the effect will be
a huge iron cauldron. The pcs have reached the eastern edge of permanent, making her nigh invincible.
the peak, and can choose how they approach. The wind still whirls She hopes the king will assume the hostages are the only source
around them, but is slightly weaker here, only gusting to dangerous of her immunity, and will waste precious time trying to save
speeds every few rounds. them. She pretends to be distracted, but keeps an eye on that peak

Act Three
(passive Perception 14), because she so desperately wants to be able I know: you’re thinking, ‘What? Isn’t this witch evil?’ Ha! Neither of us
to say her piece to King Lorcan. really cares about the peasantry. World affairs, that’s what matters! Oh,
Do note that during this encounter, King Lorcan gains a +5 and look, we have representatives from Danor and the Clergy. They came
bonus to Strength-, Dexterity-, and Constitution-based checks, be- here because of, that’s right, me!” She winks to Amielle and Tomas.
cause the Red Contessa seeks to wrest control of Risuri land from “Face it, old man, I’m making you look like a hero. I’m smarter than you.
him. I’m more powerful. If you want to protect your kingdom, only one person
up here deserves that crown. So lay it on me, kingy! Do we have a deal?”
Speaking Her Piece.
Eventually the Contessa will notice the group, and she’ll start If the king agrees, they might have to kill the other witnesses,
monologuing. She’ll do her whole spiel if given the chance. Other- which can turn into a battle of the Contessa and the king (plus the
wise she reads one paragraph each round during combat. (Adjust as fey, spirits, and serpent-maned lion) versus the party, Sister Lan-
needed to match events that have occurred so far.) guor, and the remaining witches.
If the king declines, the Contessa shrugs.
“King, now that we are alone, let me apologize for my earlier threats. I’m
an artist, and it’s important to strike the right tone. So I have to ask, how “Fine, I’ll make my own country. It’ll have blood magic and nightly orgies.
do you like my audition? Kill them!”
“Like I said earlier today, a queen must protect her subjects. This eve-
ning, thanks to my plans, two vile witches who were terrorizing Flint have
died. Rachel Lang, a traitor among the skyseers, was unmasked as a witch How to Win.
as well. Oh, you do know that Sister Languor is in my coven, right?” The cauldron is the focus of the Contessa’s bond of forced faith ritu-
She gestures to a hooded figure also standing by the cauldron, and al, linking her to the whole population of Flint. With the cauldron
pulls back the cloth to reveal the skyseer. Rachel Lang — or Sister Lan- intact, rather than the normal 250 ft. range limit, the ritual works
guor — looks askance at the Contessa, seeming slow to grasp that her anywhere in Flint. While it’s active, even if she is also bonded to
mistress is offering to betray her. any of the pcs through Languor’s trickery, damage dealt to her is
“I know,” the Contessa laughs, “your majesty, you are feeling your age, dispersed so widely that none of the linked creatures take any dam-
and that crown is so very heavy. So many people are your responsibility. age. Only if the large ritual ends does any smaller bond take over.
Well, if you name me your successor, it’s just possible that the horrible So, how to end the large ritual?
ritual I’ve got going on in this cauldron will be stopped before anything If the cauldron is cracked (Strength dc 20 to break or ac 15 and
terrible happens to the little people down below us. 40 hp), the ritual ends. Likewise, Harkover could get lucky and dis-
“So who could protect Risur better? Me, or your self-absorbed, war- pel the ritual (Intelligence check dc 19), which would really catch
obsessed knight lady? Maybe you want to make the devil girl the queen. the Red Contessa by surprise. Shoving the cauldron off the cliff

Act Three
automatically breaks it, and is sort of assumed to be the canoni- The Red Contessa
cal ending, since the pcs in Zeitgeist Adventure Two, The Dying Medium humanoid (human), chaotic evil
Skyseer, find it there a century later. Armor Class 12
Be open to other creative solutions. Throwing the Contessa off Hit Points 93
the mountain alone isn’t enough to kill her, since the falling dam- Speed 30 ft.
age will just be dispersed and kill a couple hundred peasants, but as str dex con int wis cha
long as the cauldron is destroyed, she’ll be defeated and will have to 25 (+7) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 18 (+4)
flee. Maybe Amielle pours her blood into the cauldron, and the tief- Saving Throws wis +5, cha +9
ling immunity to curses suppresses the ritual for a minute. Perhaps Skills Arcana +8, Deception +9, Perception +5, Stealth +7
Tomas uses his hook pendant to redirect the ritual from the city of Condition Immunities charmed
Flint to himself, so the Contessa is only bonded to him. Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Challenge 14 (11,500 xp)
The Cauldron. Coven Leader. As long as at least one of her other witches is alive, the
Jumping in the cauldron definitely does not help. The boiling liquid Contessa can concentrate on three spells at a time. (Usually that will be
inside deals 17 (5d6) fire damage each round to any poor idiot who animate objects, call lightning, and hex.)
winds up inside the thing. Greater Bond of Forced Faith. The Red Contessa has is bonded to the
entire city of Flint, and so she is immune to damage. As long as this
Effects of Ending the Ritual. effect persists, damage does not disrupt her concentration on spells. If
If the cauldron ritual ends and the Contessa isn’t bonded to any- her cauldron is destroyed, this effect ends. If she is not bonded with at
one else, she suffers disadvantage on Strength checks, saves, and least one pc through the lesser bond of forced faith, she has disad-
weapon attack rolls, and her weapon attacks do half damage, and vantage on all Strength checks and melee attack rolls, and her melee
she takes damage normally. weapon attacks do half damage.
However, if the Contessa is bonded to at least one pc through Bond of Forced Faith. If the party fell for Sister Languor’s trick, the
Sister Languor’s deception, ending the cauldron ritual doesn’t end Red Contessa may be bonded to one or more pcs. If the greater ritual
her bond with those pcs. Damage is still divided among those pcs is ended, any damage that would be dealt to the Contessa is instead
instead of dealt to her. This smaller bond does have the normal divided among those bonded to her.
250 ft. range limit. Blood Magic. The Contessa can see through pools of blood within three
miles, and can manifest her voice, face, or even body, if there is suf-
Foes at the Peak of Cauldron Hill. ficient blood, similar to the project image spell. These projections can in
• The Red Contessa no way harm or attack others.
• Sister Languor (see page 11) Once the Contessa has actually taken damage (so not if she’s still
• 1 serpent-maned lion protected by bond of forced faith), as a bonus action she can wreath
• 5 minor witches herself in her own blood, in a shape akin to a large water elemental.
• 2 undying spirits (see page 13) She gains resistance to acid, and to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
• 8 Cauldron Hill dark fey (see page 15) damage from nonmagical weapons. Her reach extends to ten feet, and
the bleed effect of her dagger increases from 1 damage to 5.
Dying Curse. When the Contessa is reduced to 0 hp, she chooses an
enemy who attacked her in the past hour (probably King Lorcan). For
The Red the next 10 rounds that creature gushes blood. At the end its turn
Contessa it must succeed a Constitution save (dc 17) or take 20 damage. A
success prevents the damage for that round.
During this minute, the wind around Cauldron Hill rises to a
hurricane intensity. Any creature that is not prone or holding onto
something heavy at the end of its turn must make a Strength save
(dc 10) to avoid being pushed 15 feet away from where the Contessa
died. Traveling against the wind costs double movement.
Spellcasting. The Red Contessa has three spell slots available to cast any
of the following spells. The save dc is 17, and all the spells are cast as if
with a 5th-level slot. These slots replenish after a short or long rest.
Spells prepared (3 slots): call lightning, cloud of daggers, cure wounds,
dispel magic, entangle, hallucinatory terrain, hex, phantasmal killer,
remove curse, suggestion

Act Three
Actions Serpent-Maned Lion

Multiattack. The Contessa uses her deva-slaying dagger and then makes Large monstrosity, chaotic evil
an unearthly strength attack. Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Deva-Slaying Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one Hit Points 93
target. Hit: 9 (1d4+7) piercing damage, and the target bleeds until it Speed 50 ft.
receives magical healing or someone makes a Medicine check (dc 10) str dex con int wis cha
as an action. While bleeding, the creature takes 1 damage at the end of 18 (+4) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 3 (–4) 12 (+1) 8 (–1)
its turn. If the Red Contessa hits a deva with this attack, she deals an Skills Perception +4
extra 10 (3d6) damage. Damage Immunities poison
Unearthly Strength. The Contessa makes an opposed Strength (Athlet- Condition Immunities poisoned
ics) check against a creature within 5 ft. If she succeeds, she can grab Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
the target or throw it 10 ft. and knock it prone. Challenge 4 (1,100 xp)
Torturous Curse. One creature within 30 ft. makes a Wisdom saving Beyond the Veil. The lion was a creature of the Dreaming, corrupted by
throw (dc 17). If it fails, the Red Contessa deals 16 (3d10) necrotic the dark energy of the Bleak Gate. It counts as fey and undead, which
damage to that creature, and then she bestows a curse on the creature. means King Lorcan’s sword and bow deal more damage to it, and Tomas
After using this power, the Contessa cannot use this power on the same Masaryk can dominate it if he defeats it.
creature until she takes a short or long rest. Keen Smell. The lion has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that
Choose one of the following curses, which has a duration until the rely on smell.
coven is defeated, or until broken by remove curse. A creature afflicted Running Leap. With a 10-foot running start, the lion can long jump up
by a curse can spend an action to fight against the curse. This lets it to 25 feet.
ignore the effect of the curse until the end of its next turn, after which Serpent Mane. Blind, hissing serpents form this monster’s mane, and
the curse takes hold again. In addition to the weaker curses the other their mesmerizing presence makes all spaces adjacent to the lion count
witches in the coven know (see page 10), the Contessa prefers the as difficult terrain for enemies.
following three curses. She can only have one creature afflicted with Actions
each of these curses as a time. Multiattack. The lion makes a claw attack and then a bite attack.
• Curse of Cacophony. The target is deafened, grants advantage to Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11
attacks from all enemies, and treats all creatures as enemies. It must (2d6+4) slashing damage. The target must make a Strength saving
take opportunity attacks if possible. throw (dc 13) or fall prone.
• Curse of the White-Eyed Doppelganger. Whenever the target Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13
makes an attack, he repeats the attack against himself, perceiving (2d8+4) piercing damage. If the target is prone, it also must make a
a doppelganger-like duplicate attacking. The duplicate exists only in Constitution save (dc 13) or be poisoned from the biting mane. While
the target’s mind; nothing can damage or affect it. poisoned, the target takes 5 poison damage at the start of its turn.
• Curse of the Writhing Cauldron. Whenever the target performs a The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns,
strenuous action (like attacking or casting a spell), it takes damage ending the effect with a successful save.
equal to half its maximum hit points. If the target dies, it erupts into
a harmless swarm of centipedes. Minor Witches (5)
Legendary Actions Medium humanoid (human), chaotic evil
The Contessa can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options Armor Class 12
below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and Hit Points 33
only at the end of another creature’s turn. She regains spent legendary Speed 30 ft.
actions at the start of her turn. str dex con int wis cha
Call Down Lightning (Costs 2 Actions). The Contessa casts call 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 10 (+0) 14 (+2)
lightning if she has not already, or she calls down a new bolt, dealing 27 Saving Throws wis +2, cha +4
(5d10) lightning damage to a target within 120 ft. The target takes half Skills Arcana +3, Deception +4, Perception +2, Stealth +4
damage with a successful Dexterity save (dc 17). Senses passive Perception 12
Retributive Curse. If a creature hit the Contessa with an attack on the Challenge 2 (450 xp)
turn just ended, she uses torturous curse against them. Spellcasting. The witches each have one spell slot available to cast any
Through the Veil. The Contessa’s form blurs and she moves her speed. of the following spells. The save dc is 12, and all the spells are cast as if
During this time she can move through solid objects and creatures as with a 2nd level slot.
if they were difficult terrain. If she ends her movement in a solid object Spells prepared (1 slot): darkness, hex, inflict wounds
she takes 5 force damage and is shunted to the nearest open space. She Actions
cannot move if restrained or if an effect would block teleportation. Multiattack. The witch makes two dagger attacks.
Magic Items The Red Contessa specially crafted a deva-slaying dagger Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4
that deals an extra 3d6 damage to devas. She also has a scroll case that (1d4+2) piercing damage. The witch can also throw the dagger with
contains the ritual bond of forced faith. range 20/60 ft.

Act Three
Animated Cauldron Tactics.

Medium construct, unaligned The Red Contessa opens by casting animate objects on two of the
Armor Class 15 standing stones (Large objects) and the cauldron itself (Medium
Hit Points 40 object), then casts hex as a bonus action. She’ll use her first leg-
Speed 30 ft. endary action to cast call lightning, and will drop a lightning bolt
str dex con int wis cha once per round, using her other legendary action to curse unless
10 (+0) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 3 (–4) 3 (–4) 1 (–5) she needs to relocate in a hurry.
Damage Resistances fire Thereafter she expects enemies to close with her. Once they’re
Damage Immunities poison, psychic within 30 ft., she’ll use torturous curse and then uses one of her
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, fright- three unique curses. She prefers to target Dame Melissa with the
ened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned Curse of Cacophony (shouting, “You’d make a pathetic queen!”)
Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 6 and Tomas Masaryk with the Curse of the White-Eyed Doppel-
Challenge 2 (450 xp) ganger (spitting on him and hissing, “Your gods have fallen!”). She
Sloshing Brew. Whenever a creature within 5 feet of the cauldron hits saves Curse of the Writhing Cauldron for King Lorcan.
it with a melee attack, steamy gruel splashes that creature dealing Since she assumes she’s invincible, she’s in no rush, and will stalk
2d8 fire damage. If a creature enters the pot, it takes 5d6 fire damage after Stanfield. If her bond with Flint and her bonds (if any) with
immediately, and at the end of each subsequent turn it remains in the the pcs end, she casts suggestion and says, “Just sit down and ap-
boiling brew. If the cauldron falls prone, when it stands up the brew plaud me until the battle’s over.” Then she wreathes herself in blood
drains out and it loses this ability. and fights to the death, smiling the whole time.
Actions
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 Aftermath.
(2d6+1) bludgeoning damage and 9 (2d8) fire damage. With the Red Contessa’s defeat, her dying curse will likely kill King
Upend. The cauldron leaps, flips in midair, and attempts to land upside Lorcan (or someone else if the king actually allied with her) unless
down over someone. One Medium or smaller target within 5 ft. makes a the party unites to save him. Narratively, this is intended to moti-
Dexterity save (dc 13). If the target fails, the cauldron traps the crea- vate the king to pick a successor.
ture, which is considered grappled. The cauldron is considered prone, The winds around the peak rise to hurricane intensity. For
but until it stands up there is still enough boiling brew inside to burn the nearly a minute, it becomes difficult to move without being picked
trapped creature, per the sloshing brew ability. A creature (including the up and dragged toward a cliff. Trees are uprooted, any surviving
one trapped inside) can as an action make an opposed Athletics check witches are carried into the sky screaming, and even the standing
to shove the cauldron off. stones crash and crack. If the cauldron was not yet destroyed, it is
knocked over and rolls off the cliff.
Animated Henge Stones (3) Overhead the clouds rapidly swirl and fill the sky, until the
Large construct, unaligned red haze of the blood moon is fully blocked. Darkness hangs over
Armor Class 10 Cauldron Hill, but for the moment, mundane shadows feel safer
Hit Points 50 than the sanguine glow of the lunar eclipse. With any luck, King
Speed 30 ft. Lorcan will have chosen a worthy successor, and for a time, the
str dex con int wis cha city of Flint will be safe. But in the coming decades, the citizens
14 (+2) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 3 (–4) 3 (–4) 1 (–5) of that city will keep a wary eye on the mountain in their midst,
Damage Immunities poison, psychic ever suspicious of when its curses and malevolence will boil over
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, fright- and threaten them all again.
ened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 6
Challenge 1 (200 xp) Pregenerated Characters
Tumbling Death. When the standing stones are reduced to 0 hit points, The following character sheets are intended to be playable, fun, and
they try to fall on an enemy if one is within 5 ft. That creature must balanced. They do not necessarily conform to existing character
make a Dexterity save (dc 10) or take 7 (2d6) damage and be knocked classes. For unlisted skills, just use the appropriate ability score
prone and restrained. The creature can use an action to make a modifiers.
Strength check (dc 10) to free itself. Note: As stated on his character sheet, King Lorcan’s rites of
Actions rulership trait has a special effect while in the presence of someone
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 “contesting control over Risuri land.” For the purposes of adjudicat-
(2d10+2) bludgeoning damage. ing this ability during this adventure, it only applies in the final
encounter against the Red Contessa. +

Pregenerated Characters
King Lorcan Finn

Level 11 Human King
Abilities
Plate
Armor Class
STR 16 (+3) armor;
DEX 10 (+0) 19 defense

fighting
style
CON 12 (+1)
INT 14 (+2) o
it P int
H
s
WIS 16 (+3)
81
11
CHA 16 (+3) d10+11
Saving Throws. Speed

str +7, con +5
30 ft. Rites of Rulership. You have a magical connection with the
Proficient Skills. kingdom of Risur that accords you several benefits.
Athletics +7 You gain a +5 bonus to saves against charm, fear, and poison.
Deception +7 Initiative As long as you are above 0 hp, at the start of your turn you heal 10 hp.
+0
History +6 The first time each encounter that you fall to 0 hp or below, each of
Nature +6 your subjects within three miles is overcome with weakness and falls
Performance +7 prone.
Persuasion +7 Once per round as a bonus action you can move up to four 5-ft. cubes
Survival +7 of earth, stone, or foliage up to five feet while on Risuri land. This can-
not affect land that is within 5 feet of a hostile creature, so no dropping
Combat. people in pits.
You get two attacks per action, and your weapon attacks When you are in the presence of a creature who is contesting con-
score critical hits when you roll a 19 or 20 to attack. trol over Risuri land, you gain a +5 bonus to Strength-, Dexterity-, and
Constitution-based checks. For the purpose of effects like grappling or
Melee. shoving that depend on size, you can choose to be treated as that contest-
King’s Claymore +8 (2d6+4), or ing creature’s size.
Dagger +8 (1d4+3)
Equipment.
Ranged. In addition to a variety of mundane gear (daggers, rope, etc.), you have
Silent Shortbow +7 (1d6+1, 80/320) the following items.
Coat of Armor. Your royal attire defends you as well as a suit of plate
armor. You cannot be teleported against your will.
Inspiring Leader. By spending 10 minutes offering King’s Claymore. This cold iron greatsword teleports to your hand at
inspiring and encouraging words, you can grant up to six your command. Attacks against fey deal an extra 3d6 damage.
creatures (including yourself) 14 temporary hit points. Silent Shortbow. Creatures damaged by this weapon cannot speak
above a whisper for one round. Your enchanted quiver contains nigh-
Polyglot. You can speak every language used by every unlimited cold iron and silver arrows. Attacks against fey deal an extra
creature and npc in this adventure. 3d6 damage.
Crown of Risur. You always know the preferred name of those you can
see. On your turn you can say someone’s name to grant them a new save
against an effect with an ongoing duration, but only once per person
per day.
Permission is granted to photocopy this page for personal use only. EN5ider Presents: Bonds of Forced Faith | 21
Background.
You’ve chosen to give yourself an unusual gift for your fiftieth mayor three times (he reincarnated, though), and now they seem
birthday: you intend to abdicate. bent on laying claim to the area.
A year ago you declared an armistice with the godless, techno- In the last month they have abducted dozens of hostages, and
logically superior nation of Danor, ruled by tieflings. Risur lost you intended to help, but a skyseer named Rachel Lang — one of
territory in the war, and you can already feel your people’s fading Risur’s folk prophets who sees the future in the stars — warned
trust weaken the power granted you by the Rites of Rulership. you not to move against the witches before this night, the night
The monarchs of Risur pass their title based on merit, not of a lunar eclipse, which you know as an ill omen. In any event,
blood, which is good because your children are all obnoxious. tomorrow is your birthday. You have gathered trusted allies to
You intend to name as your successor Dame Melissa Gahlot, your plan an assault on the witches’ stronghold, the mountain known
chief bodyguard, known as the Green Knight. But the rites are as Cauldron Hill, which looms over Flint’s city center. You will
only strong if the monarch is beloved by the masses and approved strike at dawn.
by the nobility, so Melissa needs to be seen as a hero. You might not return, but there’s more at stake than simply
A tragedy has given you a rare opportunity, though. During saving your citizens. Dame Melissa is noble and mighty, but she
the war a coven of witches in one of your less-important cities — has no bond with the common folk. You pray that she will see
Flint — grew bold and deadly. Led by a woman known as the Red that the nation is nothing if its people do not have faith in their
Contessa, they terrorized the townsfolk, these witches killed the monarch. If you fail, you’re not sure who will succeed you.
Suggested Starting Interactions.

Ask your allies to brief you. Let Roland Stanfield, mayor of Flint, tell what
has happened so far in his city, and have your chief advisor Harkover Lee
explain the nature of the witches. The foreigner Tomas Masaryk claims he
knows a secret of the witches’ power. Impress on Dame Melissa that pro-
tecting the people of Flint is your chief concern and that this is the proper
attitude of a responsible monarch.
Character Goal.
Do not tell anyone you intend to abdicate. It would be wise to keep it quiet
that you’re considering Dame Melissa as your successor, though you think
she already suspects, as she has grown haughty and overconfident. Make
sure that you do not die before passing the crown on to someone else.
You could declare almost anyone to be your successor, but not Mayor
Stanfield (the rites demand the monarch must be “mortal”; because he is
a deva, Stanfield perpetually reincarnates) nor your principal minister Har-
kover Lee (the rites disqualify anyone who has ruled another nation from
wearing the crown of Risur).
Dame Melissa Gahlot

Level 10 Half-Elf Green Knight
Abilities
Magic
Armor Class
STR 18 (+4) plate
DEX 8 (–1) 21 armor,

shield
CON 10 (+0)
INT 13 (+1) o
it P int
H
s
WIS 12 (+1)
64
CHA 18 (+4) 10d10
Nature’s Blessing. You derive a number of powers from your

Saving Throws. Speed connection with nature.
wis +5, cha +8
30 ft. You are immune to disease.
As an action you can heal a creature you touch. You have a pool of
Proficient Skills. 50 hp you can heal per day, and in lieu of healing 5 hp you can cure a
History +5 disease or neutralize a poison.
Intimidation +8 Initiative If you die and remain dead for five minutes, you can spend a Hit Die
–1
Medicine +5 and revive at 1 hp.
Persuasion +8 You and allies within 10 ft. get a +4 bonus on saves, resistance to
damage from spells, and can’t be frightened while you’re conscious. As
Combat. an action 5 times per day, you can sense celestials, fiends, and undead
You get two attacks per action. Darkvision within 60 ft.
Once per short rest you can shout a rebuke to fiends and fey within
Melee. 60 ft. 30 ft. Each fey that fails a Wisdom save (dc 16) is turned for one minute
Vanguard Lance +9 (1d12+5), or or until it takes damage. A turned creature must try to move as far away
Cold iron dagger +8 (1d4+4) from you as possible. If it cannot get away, it spends its action to Dodge.
You can cast the following spells spontaneously. Any save dc is 16.
Ranged. • 1st Level (4/day) — command, cure wounds, ensnaring strike,
Returning Spear +8 (1d8+4, 20/60), or speak with animals, thunderous smite
Golden Net +8 (restrained, 5/15) • 2nd Level (3/day) — branding strike, lesser restoration, misty step,
moonbeam, zone of truth
• 3rd Level (2/day) — crusader’s mantle, plant growth, protection
Charger. When you use your action to Dash, you can from energy, remove curse, revivify
use a bonus action to make one melee weapon attack or
shove a creature. If you move at least 10 feet before taking Equipment.
this bonus action, you either get +5 to damage or push the In addition to a variety of mundane gear (daggers, rope, etc.) and non-
target up to 10 feet away from you. magical combat gear (longsword, plate armor, shield, cold iron dagger),
you have the following items.
Divine Smite. When you hit a creature with a melee Vanguard Lance. If there is an enemy within 60 ft. distance at the
weapon attack, you can expend a spell slot to deal extra start of combat, you may choose to treat your initiative as if you rolled a
radiant damage — 2d8 for a 1st level slot, 3d8 for 2nd, or natural 20. If you do, you must charge on the first turn of combat.
4d8 for 3rd. Increase the damage another 1d8 if the target Returning Spear. If thrown, it flies back to you at the start of your
is undead or a fiend. You can also use this power to gain a next turn.
bonus to Strength checks to break an item, with the bonus Golden Net. Creature struck is restrained (str check dc 15 or 15 slash-
equal to 3 plus twice the spell’s level. ing damage to break). Restrained creature cannot teleport or phase out.
Background.
You should be the next monarch of Risur. You have worked all The people think he is weak, and so if he’s smart he’ll pick a
your adult life toward this goal, since thirty years ago when you strong successor to protect the nation, before the Rites of Ruler-
were knighted by Queen Caroline, the predecessor of your cur- ship that grant him his power fade.
rent king, Lorcan. Now comes your final test to prove your worth. A coven of
For three decades you have honed your prowess, for any ruler witches in control of a mountain called Cauldron Hill have com-
of Risur must be fit to give battle to conquerers and usurpers. mitted many horrors, and King Lorcan has called upon you to
Your forthrightness and honesty have earned you the respect of wade into battle by his side. You will strike at dawn tomorrow,
the nobles of Risur, and your skill at subtle mockery has won which happens to be your king’s fiftieth birthday. He is human,
you favor from the fey Unseen Court. And in the last war for and he will not maintain his strength much longer, but your elf
the Yerasol Isles you inspired terror in your opponents, the effete blood will give you a century more of life. If you can defeat these
tieflings who ruled the nation of Danor. Last year King Lorcan dark villains, surely he shall name you his successor. You will be
ceased hostilities, but you think he gave up too much territory. a good queen.

Be sure to remind King Lorcan, in as polite a way as possible, that the ter-
ritory Risur lost in the recent war has undercut the respect the common
people have for him. Ask him if he feels their doubt through the Rites. Pre-
tend to be sympathetic.
Character Goal.
You want King Lorcan to name you his successor. Toward that end, protect
him, but also strive to be seen as a hero.
Weodam, Fey Stag. You have a stag mount that obeys all your Weodam
commands. If you do not command it, it acts on its own, on your initia- ac 16 (leather barding)
tive. It has the statistics and attack shown at right. hp 19
Twice per day as an action, Weodam can teleport you and it 60 ft. speed 60 ft.
together. str 8 (–1)
dex 12 (+1)
Mounted Combat. While mounted, you have advantage on melee con 13 (+1)
attack rolls against unmounted foes that are size Medium or smaller. int 6 (–2)
While mounted, you can force an attack that targets your mount to tar- wis 12 (+1)
get you instead. If you do, your mount takes half damage against effects cha 7 (–2)
that grant a Dexterity save, or no damage if it succeeds the save. melee gore +4 (2d6+4)
Roland Stanfield
Level 10 Deva Mayor
Abilities
Studded
Armor Class
STR 8 (–1) leather
DEX 12 (+1) 13 armor
CON 11 (+0)
INT 16 (+3) o
it P int
H
s
WIS 19 (+4)
53
CHA 14 (+2) 10d8
Saving Throws. Speed

con +4, dex +5, int +7, wis +8
30 ft. Rogue Tricks. In this life you find yourself sneaky and clever.
Once per turn you deal +5d6 sneak attack damage when you hit an
Proficient Skills. enemy and have advantage on the attack roll, or if one of your allies is
Deception +10 within 5 feet of the enemy.
History +7 Initiative You can use a bonus action to Dash, Disengage, or Hide.
+1
Medicine +7 When an attacker you can see hits you, you can spend your reaction to
Perception +12 halve the damage.
Persuasion +10 You take half damage against effects that grant a Dexterity save, or no
Religion +7 damage if you succeed the save.
Stealth +9
Deva Traits. Your status as a deva offers you the following benefits.
Combat. You have resistance to necrotic and radiant energy, and you cannot be
Your past lives give you some unusual combat options. See blinded by bright light.
Manifest Incarnations at right and the incarnation statis- Once per day you can recall knowledge from a past life. Roll 1d4 and
tics on the next page. add it to one ability check, skill check, or saving throw of your choice,
after you roll but before you know the result. If you do this for a skill you
Melee. are not proficient with, you gain proficiency for the next minute.
Shortsword +5 (1d6+1) If you die, eight hours later your body dissolves and you reincarnate,
fully grown but with jumbled memories, somewhere within three miles.
Ranged. (You hope you never reincarnate while at sea.)
Dagger +5 (1d4+1)
Manifest Incarnations. As a bonus action you can call forth a
shimmering manifestation of one of your past lives. He appears besides
Old Injury. A back injury you suffered in your first life you, can roam up to 250 ft. from you, and lasts as long as you remain
recurs each time you reincarnate. Whenever you fall prone, conscious. You share senses intuitively. Each of you can move indepen-
you bleed, and suffer 1 damage each round until you receive dently, but you have only one action, and can use it either for yourself or
magical healing or someone succeeds a dc 10 Medicine for one of your incarnations.
check to stop the bleeding. Your incarnations all have the Each incarnation has 20 hp and uses your stats, but do not have Rogue
same weakness. Tricks. The incarnations have additional abilities listed on the next page.
If an incarnation is reduced to 0 hp, it vanishes, and you lose 20 hp.
Equipment. Aside from a variety of mundane items You can have multiple incarnations manifested at the same time, but no
(daggers, rope, etc.), your studded leather armor, and your more than one of each type. You can dismiss an incarnation as a bonus
shortsword, you have no noteworthy gear. action. If you manifest it again, it starts at 20 hp.
Background.
Four centuries ago you saw a goddess die. It changed you, and distracted the witches began to terrorize your people and curse
years later when you eventually perished you reincarnated, reap- the families who looked to you for protection and guidance. You
pearing fully-grown in the wilderness with only vague memories. tried to drive them out. They killed you.
You are no longer a man, but a deva, bearing a sliver of the god- Your next incarnation opposed them as well, and a couple
dess’s power. years later the Contessa killed you again, which only increased
Over the course of a hundred years and several incarnations her infamy and made it seem impossible to confront her. Your
you found your way to Risur, and became mayor of the coastal next incarnation called on the king to save your city, but he took
town of Flint. Upon your next death, the people of Flint found too long, so you led a desperate mission yourself. You wish you
you and asked you to return. couldn’t remember this latest death, how horrifying it was to
You had trouble at first, but then a wise man helped you unlock watch men who trusted you burn alive.
memories of your previous incarnations. With each life you were Last night you were visited again by the same wise man who
a slightly different man, but now your former selves could advise helped you centuries ago, though he wore a new face. He con-
you. Thereafter Flint quickly prospered. gratulated your leadership, and asked two favors before leaving:
Then forty years ago a witch known as the Red Contessa es- “Tell no one else of my visit, please.” And, “When the tiefling
tablished a coven atop a looming peak in the city’s center. The arrives, accept her aid, and keep her alive. She has the power to
mountain was once called the Hunchback, but the locals have make Flint the mightiest city in the world.”
renamed it Cauldron Hill. At first the coven moved subtly, and Your current incarnation feels … sneakier than usual. But
the threat they posed was not worth the risk of fighting them. what hasn’t changed is your commitment to the improvement of
But a few years ago Risur went to war, and while the nation was Flint and the protection of its people.

Tell King Lorcan and his retinue about your city’s suffering at the witches’
hands, and of your own deaths. The king intends to strike at dawn. Insist on
joining this mission.
Character Goal.
The people of Flint must be safe from the torment of the witches. Accept the
aid of the tiefling, whoever she happens to be, and make sure she survives,
even if you die. You’ll reincarnate anyway. Tell no one about the mysterious
wise man.
Warrior Incarnation. Loremaster Incarnation. Politician Incarnation.

Centuries ago you fought in a holy war. Since then you have devoted yourself to You’ve found your greatest success in lead-
• ac 20 (plate armor, shield) learning. ing and governance.
• str 19 (+4) • ac 11 • Unassuming. Attacks against you
• Combat. This incarnation makes two • Spellcasting. The number of uses for have disadvantage if the attacker can
attacks with a single action, and has each spell refreshes each day; getting see any of its other enemies.
the following attacks: a “new” loremaster incarnation • Inspirational Presence. As a bonus
Melee longsword +8 (1d8+4) doesn’t help. action twice per short rest, you
Ranged holy light +5 (2d6 fire Cantrips — mage hand, message, can grant an ally who can hear you
damage, range 60 ft., at-will) prestidigitation rhetorical inspiration. That ally can
1st (4/day) — detect magic, magic spend the rhetorical inspiration to get
missile, silent image +1d10 to any d20 roll.
2nd (3/day) — hold person, invisibility, • Poisoned Weapon. Applying poison is
mirror image, spider climb a bonus action. A target struck takes
24 poison damage. A Constitution
save (dc 15) reduces the damage by
half. The poison can only coat this
incarnation’s weapons.
Harkover Lee
Level 10 Enigmatic Mage
Abilities
Mage
Armor Class
STR 25 (+7) armor
DEX 8 (–1) 12 spell
CON 10 (+0)
INT 20 (+5) o
it P int
H
s
WIS 16 (+3)
42
CHA 14 (+2) 10d6
Spellcasting. You have the following spells prepared. The save dc

Saving Throws. Speed is 17, and any spell attack is at +9. Once per day at the end of a short
int +9, wis +7
30 ft. rest you can regain up to 5 levels worth of spell slots.
You can shape the area of your evocation spells (marked with an aster-
Proficient Skills. isk) to ignore a number of creatures equal to 1 + the spell’s level.
Deception +10 Evocation spells you cast that deal damage deal an extra 5 damage.
History +7 Initiative • Cantrips (at-will) — fire bolt*, mage hand, mending, message,
–1
Medicine +7 minor illusion
Perception +12 • 1st Level (3/day) — burning hands*, detect magic, feather fall,
Persuasion +10 identify, mage armor
Religion +7 • 2nd Level (3/day) — flaming sphere*, scorching ray*, see invisibil-
Stealth +9 Darkvision ity, shatter*
• 3rd Level (3/day) — dispel magic, clairvoyance, fireball*, remove
Combat. 120 ft. curse
As a consequence of your taboo, • 4th Level (3/day) — dimension door, fire shield*
you cannot make melee attacks or • 5th Level (2/day) — wall of force
otherwise use your physical might to cause damage to other
creatures. You use your magical abilities instead. Equipment. As a consequence of your taboo, you carry no weapons.
Golden Orb. Etched with arcane writings, this 4-inch diameter sphere
Melee. of gold is your spellbook. It weighs 22 pounds, but you carry it easily.
Unarmed strike +11 (8 damage, objects only) Robes of the Pyromancer. Any creature that grabs you catches on fire,
and takes 2d6 fire damage immediately and each round thereafter. Only
Ranged. if the creature releases you can it attempt to put out the flames, making
Handheld flame +9 (1d10+5 fire, 120 ft.) a dex save (dc 10) for free at the end of its turn. It can spend an action to
automatically extinguish the flames.
Black Gem. Crack in order to release an aura that blocks scrying
Enigmatic Taboo. You should keep your strength a within 100 ft. Lasts one day once activated.
secret; openly displaying it would raise questions you’re not Rune of Succor. Inscribed into your flesh but hidden from view, this
prepared to answer. You may not attack to injure another rune triggers if you remain at 0 hp or below for more than two rounds.
creature with your physical might, but you may use magic If triggered, you teleport to your sanctum hundreds of miles away in the
to do so. Your strength can still aid with skill checks, com- city of Slate, where minions can revive you. You cannot share this con-
bat maneuvers like grappling, and attacks against objects. tingency with anyone else. You have a scroll of teleport at your sanctum,
but it would take you a few minutes to retrieve it.
Friend to Flame. You are immune to fire damage. Scrolls. You have three scrolls of dispel magic and three scrolls of re-
You can see perfectly through smoke. You can conjure fire move curse. Dispelling has a chance of removing curses, but might be
and throw it at-will. better saved to thwart other spell effects.
Background.
You do not speak of your history, and you will not eat or drink in human his age, asks you to aid him against the witch coven of
front of others, nor may you fight with your physical might, only Cauldron Hill, and so you shall. You have never been to the city
your magic. And — for one more year at least — you must obey of Flint before, but you and your apprentices have scryed it and
your pledge of loyalty to Risur and continue to serve as principal learned information that will be critical in defeating the witch
minister to the monarch, whomever he or she may be. known as the Red Contessa. The king intends to strike at dawn.
King Lorcan, fifty years old tomorrow yet still strong for a Serve the king well. Risur has done you a great favor.

Share this information with the king and his council:
The coven’s leader, the Red Contessa, can sense any blood spilled within 3
miles, and can speak and observe through pools of blood. Your black gem will
help you sneak up on her.
The witch known as Sister Pernicity can command dark fey and the
spirits of the dead. Sister Deliria confuses people’s minds, using trickery, il-
lusions, and enchantment. There may be more witches.
People have reported attacking the witches, inflicting mortal wounds, and
then seeing no effect. The witches have many minions, some willing, some
coerced, some enchanted. And not all of them are human. The witches are
never seen far from their minions, so perhaps they derive power from them.
The witches have captured more than a hundred hostages in the past
month, and hundreds more in the past decade. Ritual sacrifice in the past
has drawn the peak of Cauldron Hill in close contact with the realm of spirits,
but you cannot determine what the Contessa intends her current crop of
blood sacrifice for.
The visitor Tomas Masaryk has come from the nation Crisillyir, who follow
a religion known as the Clergy. Tomas claims he has information that will be
useful, and you have used magic to verify the truth of his claims. He can
be trusted as an ally, at least for the mission of defeating the Red Contessa.
Character Goal.
While you are fond of King Lorcan, you are more loyal to Risur as a na-
tion than to its monarch. You worry Lorcan plans to name Dame Melissa his
successor. She would be a terrible queen, so try to make sure if he names
a successor that he names someone else. You would prefer not to actively
harm Dame Melissa, but you will if it’s the only way to stop her from taking
the crown.
Tomas Masaryk
Level 10 Human Godhand
Abilities
Holy
Armor Class
STR 9 (–1) sentinel
DEX 18 (+4) 17 benefit
CON 14 (+2)
INT 11 (+0) o
it P int
H
s
WIS 16 (+3)
73
10
CHA 14 (+2) d8+20
Divine Vessel. Your holy power manifests in a number of ways.
You have a halo that you can have cast light as bright as a torch, or
Saving Throws. Speed have it simply float dim, like polished metal. Whenever a ranged weapon
str +3, dex +8
50 ft. hits you, as a reaction you may have your halo flare, unleashing a force
that reduces the damage by 1d10+14. If this reduces the damage to zero,
Proficient Skills. you may send the weapon back at the attacker, with a +8 attack bonus.
Acrobatics +8 You are immune to disease, poison, charm, and fear effects.
Athletics +3 Initiative When you succeed a dex save for half damage, you instead take no
+4
Intimidate +6 damage; if you fail, you only take half damage.
Religion +4 You reduce all falling damage by 50 points.
You can use speak with dead any number of times per day, but only
Combat. once for a given corpse. Each attempt requires a minute berating and
You get two attacks per action, plus you can use a bonus ac- compelling the corpse to answer you.
tion to make an additional unarmed strike attack. You have ten uses of divine favor per day. You can spend one use for
any of the following:
Melee. • You can take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action, and
Unarmed strike +8 (1d6+4) you double your jump distance this turn.
• Your fists unleash glowing blasts of holy energy, extending your
Ranged. melee reach to 120 ft. this turn.
Hook chain +8 (1d6+4, thrown, 5/15 ft.) • Heal 15 damage to a creature you touch as an action.
• If you reduce an undead or fiend to 0 hp, you can keep it alive and
dominated with 10 hp. Five minutes after being dominated, it is
Holy Sentinel. In combat, your holy power makes you destroyed.
a defender of others.
Creatures within 5 feet of you provoke opportunity at- Equipment. You wear the light clothing of a Clergy supplicant.
tacks even if they Disengage. Holy Scripture of Triegenes. The sacred text of your faith, a humble
Whenever you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, book. If you spend an action to recite from it, your halo illuminates a
its speed becomes 0 for the rest of the turn. 10-ft. aura around you. Until the start of your next turn, foes must make
Whenever an enemy within 5 feet of you attacks one of a wis save (dc 16) to attack you or your allies in the aura. This protection
your allies, you may make a melee attack against that enemy is broken if you or an ally in the aura attacks or casts a spell that affects
as a reaction. an enemy.
Martyr’s Fishhook Necklace. As a reaction, you can change one spell
that targets one ally within 30 ft. and cause it to target you instead.
Urn of Holy Water from the Aqueducts of Alais Primos. Weapons
anointed with this water can harm ghosts. Can affect nine weapons (in-
cluding fists), lasting 24 hours.
Background.
You are a geneu credeto, a godhand, and you have not flesh but Lorcan Finn intends to give battle to the foul women. You desire
faith made manifest. You have traveled a thousand miles to power in your church, and if you can slay the Contessa, you in-
see done the will of your hierarchs, to restore the purity of the tend to petition for a place among the hierarchs.
Clergy, which guards this world from infernal magic and guides King Lorcan is a non-believer — the folk of Risur worship spir-
mortals to reach for godhood. its of the land and gods of the faeries — but your interests align
The Red Contessa is a heretic who was cast out four decades on this mission. Indeed, King Lorcan recently lost land in a war
past. Five years ago she returned to your homeland and snuck against the hellish tieflings who rule the nation of Danor, Risur’s
into the Vault of Heresies, from which she stole the blasphemous rival across the sea. While they’re a primitive people, Risur at
ritual bond of forced faith, scribed by the ancient fiend Namtar- least is strong enough to oppose true evil.
Shamash of the demonocracy, which your Clergy gloriously Your hierarchs would prefer the Contessa purified in the fires
defeated a thousand years ago. of your homeland’s holy volcano Enzyo Mons, but any death will
The Contessa leads a coven of witches in the Risuri city of do. You have been given a full indulgence by the church: whatever
Flint, and the hierarchs divined that Risur’s monarch King sins you commit in this duty shall be expunged upon your return.

You have already endured a magical test to prove to the king’s wizard that
you are not trying to deceive them, but you want your allies to trust you. Try
to bond with King Lorcan over your mutual disdain of the tieflings of Danor.
The Red Contessa stole a heretical text and has learned a blood ritual
known as bond of forced faith. Willing allies or unwilling hostages share their
life force with the caster, whose physical might is increased. Wounds dealt to
the caster are instead distributed among those bonded to her, but she must
remain within 250 feet of them. Drowning and other non-wounding subdual
should still work, as would moving her far enough from those bonded to her.
Character Goal.
Ensure the Red Contessa dies, preferably in fire. Recover or destroy the
ritual she stole. Serve as a strong example of your faith, so that Risur might
be more amenable to conversion.
Also in Your Backpack. Along with your other items, you carry
a copy of the Catalogue of Fiends of the Demonocracy, a work said to be
transcribed directly from the blasphemous utterings of Ashima-Shimtu,
prisoner of the Crypta Hereticarum. Bound in silver and white leather.
Just some light reading you brought along; no mechanical effect.
Amielle Latimer
Level 10 Tiefling Gunsmith
Abilities
Chain
Armor Class
STR 10 (+0) shirt
DEX 18 (+4) 16
CON 10 (+0)
INT 14 (+2) o
it P int
H
s
WIS 12 (+1)
64
CHA 16 (+3) 10d10
Racial and Family Traits. As a Danoran tiefling of the

Saving Throws. Speed Latimer line, you have some useful inborn qualities.
str +4, dex +4
40 ft. You have resistance to fire damage.
You are immune to curses.
Proficient Skills. Twice per day, when a foe deals you damage, as a reaction you may
Acrobatics +8 wrathfully ignite that creature. It takes 2d6 fire damage and catches on
Athletics +5 Initiative fire. Each round thereafter it takes another 2d6 fire damage. At the end
+4
Deception +7 of its turn the creature can make a dex save (dc 15) to put out the fires,
Engineering +6 or it can spend an action to automatically stop the flames. This ability
Perception +5 recharges if the damage kills the foe.
Stealth +8
Darkvision Gunplay. Your firearms are the first of their kind, which you crafted
Combat. yourself. Some kinks remain to be worked out.
You get two attacks per action, 60 ft. Whenever you roll a natural 1 on an attack roll with a firearm, the
plus you can use a bonus action gun misfires — nothing happens, and the gun remains loaded. Clearing
to attack with your off-hand weapon. the barrel requires an action, and makes the gun safe to use. You can
continue using a misfired gun without clearing the barrel, but attacks
Melee. with the weapon have disadvantage, and if you roll a second natural 1,
Rapier +8 (1d8+4), or the weapon suffers a mishap and explodes: it is destroyed and deals its
Main-gauche (off-hand weapon) +8 (1d4) base damage die to you (2d8 for the musket, 1d10 for a pistol).
After you attack with a firearm, smoke fills your square and each adja-
Ranged. cent square, providing concealment until dispersed.
Musket +10 (2d8+4, 60/180), or Reloading a firearm requires either an action or bonus action; it en-
Pistol +10 (1d10+4, 20/60), or tails pouring a charge of firedust into the barrel, loading a lead ball, and
Grenade* (3d6 in 5-ft. radius; dex dc 12 negates. 20/60) inserting a ramrod to pack the shot firmly.
Equipment. You wear a mithral jerkin you took from a Risuri

Courseur. You practice a daring form of athleticism. soldier in the war, but otherwise your main items of equipment are all
Climbing doesn’t halve your speed, and you use Dexterity hand-crafted masterpieces from Danor, including your rapier and main-
for Athletics checks to climb or jump. gauche, a flintlock musket, four flintlock pistols, a flintlock lighter, and
You only need a 5-ft. start for a running jump. cigars. You have more than enough ammunition and firedust powder to
You can stand by spending only 5 ft. of movement. complete this adventure without needing to replenish your supply.
When you Dash, difficult terrain doesn’t slow you. You carry two explosive fragmentation grenades.*
When you make a melee attack against an enemy, you You wear an electrum ring engraved inside the band with the words
don’t provoke opportunity attacks from that creature for the “One Bullet Kill.”
rest of the turn. * see next page for grenade rules
Background.
You graduated valedictorian from the prestigious martial acad- Now you see your chance. In the Risuri city of Flint, for de-
emy Jierre Sciens d’Arms. In the Second War for the Yerasol Isles cades a witch coven has gathered atop the mountain known as
you earned medal after medal as your keen aim and hand-crafted Cauldron Hill, spreading fear and madness, abducting children,
musket felled dozens of Risuri soldiers. The war ended a year ago and raising the walking dead. Spies report that Risur’s King
in Danor’s favor, and you could have retired to a life of aristocracy. Lorcan plans a massive assault to defeat them.
But you know war is destructive for both sides, and you want The Risuri see you only as an enemy. They fear that your
to have children and not give them a dangerous world to inherit. nation’s technology may supplant their magic, and that your en-
You have joined with like-minded intellectuals of Danor in a se- lightened reason will cast down their superstitious religion. But
cret society devoted to bringing Risur and Danor closer together. you must make them see you as an ally.

You’ll arrive on your steamship Hinc ad Aeternitatem shortly after everyone
else begins discussing their plans. You’ll need to convince them to let you
help.
An astronomer colleague of yours has calculated that tonight’s lunar
eclipse will be in conjunction with the dark planet Nem, creating a strong
surge of necromantic mana. At 10:37 pm, the focus of that power will align
with the peak of Cauldron Hill, so any magic performed at that time will be
greatly enhanced.
You know the Risuri think eclipses are bad omens, but they cannot let
superstition cause them to hesitate. They must strike tonight, before the
eclipse reaches its maximum. You have rushed on Danor’s fastest ship to
warn them while there’s still time.
Character Goal.
Earn the trust of the monarch of Risur, and make the first steps to introduc-
ing Danoran technological industry to this superstitious nation.
*Grenades. When you throw a grenade, choose a creature or an unoccupied 5-ft. square.
(If the creature occupies more than one 5-ft. square, choose one of the squares it occupies.)
Make an attack roll against ac 10. If the attack misses, the grenade veers off course, missing
by 5 ft. in a random direction, or 10 ft. if the target area was at long range. Each creature
in a 5-ft. radius of where the grenade lands must succeed a dex save (dc 12) or else take 3d6
bludgeoning and piercing damage.
If you targeted a creature and the attack roll is a critical hit, the grenade directly strikes
that creature (or the creature of your choice, if there are multiple). The grenade does double
damage to that creature without allowing a save. Other creatures in the area are affected
normally.

EN5ider 142 - Zeitgeist 00 Bonds of Forced Faith

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EN5ider 142 - Zeitgeist 00 Bonds of Forced Faith

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EN5ider Presents:

A Zeitgeist Campaign World Adventure

t he city of Flint in the year 400 a.o.v. is a

modest coastal hub of shipping, fishing, and

lumber, far from the industrial powerhouse it will be-

The King’s Retinue.

2 | EN5ider Presents: Bonds of Forced Faith

Lower Flint Bay

Upper Flint Bay 2.

EN5ider Presents: Bonds of Forced Faith | 3

Mayor Roland Stanfield Teodore

EN5ider Presents: Bonds of Forced Faith | 5

6 | EN5ider Presents: Bonds of Forced Faith

character sheets (starting on page 21) and let

the players decide who plays whom.

EN5ider Presents: Bonds of Forced Faith | 7

The Goal. Eclipse Chronology.

8 | EN5ider Presents: Bonds of Forced Faith

Mechanics of the Bond. Foes at Parity Lake.

EN5ider Presents: Bonds of Forced Faith | 9

The Witches’ Curses.

10 | EN5ider Presents: Bonds of Forced Faith

and flees; then, Rachel Lang returns to

shore. The confused mob has fled in panic.

EN5ider Presents: Bonds of Forced Faith | 11

At this point, she dispatches the undying spirits (see below) to

12 | EN5ider Presents: Bonds of Forced Faith

EN5ider Presents: Bonds of Forced Faith | 13

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Pernicity’s Tactics. Cauldron Hill Dark Fey (8)

EN5ider Presents: Bonds of Forced Faith | 15

tender ministrations, there’s no point having

them come along, though some offer. They profusely

most are too terrified and exhausted to try moving un-

til dawn. They know that more people were dragged

up to the peak during the day, though, so the pcs can

easily guess that the Red Contessa will have hostages

Final Ascent. Ritual of the Red Moon.

16 | EN5ider Presents: Bonds of Forced Faith

EN5ider Presents: Bonds of Forced Faith | 17

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Actions Serpent-Maned Lion

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Animated Cauldron Tactics.

20 | EN5ider Presents: Bonds of Forced Faith

King Lorcan Finn

DEX 10 (+0) 19 defense

Saving Throws. Speed

Suggested Starting Interactions.

Dame Melissa Gahlot

DEX 8 (–1) 21 armor,

Nature’s Blessing. You derive a number of powers from your

Suggested Starting Interactions.

DEX 12 (+1) 13 armor

Saving Throws. Speed

Suggested Starting Interactions.

Warrior Incarnation. Loremaster Incarnation. Politician Incarnation.

DEX 8 (–1) 12 spell

Spellcasting. You have the following spells prepared. The save dc

Suggested Starting Interactions.