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177004-The Lurker Beneath Red Larch

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Introduction A Murder
The Lurker Beneath Red Larch is a Dungeons Our heroes are in Red Larch and have just
& Dragons adventure designed to be entered the Helm at Highsun tavern. Read the
completed in about 4-6 hours of play. The following –
combat encounters have been calculated to
present a tough challenge to four 3rd level Ribbons of blood dance through the air,
characters. They will present a less difficult, tracing wide crimson arcs before splintering
though still enjoyable, challenge to higher level apart into thousands upon thousands of
characters or larger parties. bright red droplets. The cheerful tavern
Not every loose end is tied up in the following atmosphere evaporates in a moment, rent
text, nor every possible reaction accounted for. apart by screams and cries.
Be ready to improvise, and do so with
confidence! A woman with grey hair stands near the bar,
grasping at the dagger in her throat with
Unless stated otherwise, assume any NPCs are
fingers made slippery by blood. She sways and
human and have the stats of a commoner.
collapses. More screams.

The Cast A man stands before her. He is holding the hilt


of the dagger, but lets it slip from a gory hand
Following are the key characters in this as the woman falls. He freezes for a moment,
adventure. then spins and sprints away, knocking aside
people as he goes.
Aleena Ironsky
Aleena is the newly appointed Constable of A young, flaxen-haired woman stands up at
Red Larch. She is just 21 years old, with the back of the room and cries out, “Stop him!
fierce green eyes, shaggy blonde hair and a Stop him!” as he approaches the entrance –
lithe build. She has struggled to assert her the entrance where you and your comrades
authority with the villagers, who don’t take are standing.
her seriously because of her age.
What do you do?
Grindol Farmoor
Grindol is a carpenter who has lived in Red The running man is Grindol Farmoor. He is
Larch for about a year, having moved there unarmed, so the PCs should be able to easily
from Triboar. He is 30 years old with large grapple him to the ground if they choose.
blue eyes, close cropped dark hair and a thin
face. He is a private man and has no real
Deputies
friends in the village. A moment later the flaxen-haired woman,
Aleena Ironsky, runs out of the tavern. If the
Kali Brightsong PCs subdued Grindol, Aleena will thank them,
and then ask them to help her take Grindol to
Kali is a popular street performer in Red
the lockup.
Larch. She sings, juggles and tells jokes and
stories. She supplements her income with a If the PCs let Grindol through, then Aleena will
bit of sewing and gardening on the side. Kali tackle him just a few yards from the tavern.
is about 50, with short grey hair, smiling eyes She will look at the PCs, identify herself as the
and a wrinkled face. constable, and demand that they help her take

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Grindol in. If the PCs still refuse, the
Just the Facts
adventure is over.
Aleena takes the PCs back to the Helm to do
If the PCs help Aleena, she will lead them to some preliminary investigation. The murdered
the “lockup”, which is actually just a small woman (whose body is still there) is Kali
garden shed behind the butcher’s shop, with a Brightsong, a popular local street performer.
barred window and a padlock on the door.
There, Grindol will be safely locked away. He Many people from the village have gathered at
seems stunned and says nothing, even if the Helm by the time the PCs and Aleena
questioned closely. arrive. They are angry and some want to hang
Grindol immediately.
After that, Aleena will formally deputize the
PCs. This murder is the biggest matter she has A large number of people saw Grindol plunge
dealt with while deputy, and she needs some the knife into Kali’s throat. Aleena listens to
assistance. If the PCs won’t willingly help, she their stories and takes the murder weapon,
will inform them that village ordinances mean wrapping it in a cloth. She then calms the mob
they are obliged to assist her. She can’t really down by telling them she will be going to fetch
force them, however, and if they persist in the magistrate the next day.
refusing then the adventure is over. As the crowd disperses, Imdarr Relvaundar,
If they ask about payment, she looks glum – the local priest of Tempus, says he will take
she has barely enough money to live on care of the body. Aleena asks the PCs to come
herself. However, she believes one of the village and see her at the lockup the next morning.
patrons may be willing to offer a reward – she You may assume the PCs are staying at the
will look into it. Unless reminded, Aleena will Swinging Sword overnight.
forget about this request.
On Your Own
Why does Aleena trust them? The next morning, Aleena hands the PCs the
key to the lockup. She has to go and get the
For this adventure to work Aleena needs to
magistrate, Harburk Tuthmarillar - who also
put a fair bit of trust in the PCs. You need to
happens to be the former constable. Harburk
find a good reason for this trust to exist. Here
now has a turnip farm and lives some distance
are some suggestions –
out of Red Larch. Aleena will not be back until
 News of their last adventure reached her the afternoon of the following day.
ears, and convinced her that they were
The lockup does not need to be watched
honorable people
during the day as the butcher’s family keep an
 One of the PCs grew up in Red Larch, and eye on it, and also feed the prisoner (a hunk of
has a good reputation with the locals bread through the barred window). But Aleena
would like at least one of the PCs stay in the
 The party did Aleena a small favour of some
small room she rents from the butcher
kind when they first came to the village
overnight, just in case there is some kind of
 Aleena and one of the PCs grew up in the trouble in the dark hours.
same city, and vaguely knew one another
Aleena says the PCs are free to investigate the
Another good way to handle this is to get the case further, though she believes it is a
PCs to participate in the narrative straight-forward matter and Grindol will hang
development. Pick someone and ask them to in a few days. Just before she leaves she says,
explain how their character knows Aleena “When the magistrate comes, make sure you
and why she trusts them. say nice things about Red Larch. He is very
parochial.”

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always a few people there. The PCs might also
Investigation want to visit the village crossroads where there
is usually a bit of traffic, or they might
The PCs may choose to do nothing until randomly enter a shop and begin talking to the
Aleena returns, in which case skip to the proprietor or customers.
conclusion. But it’s more likely they will do
The sidebar box titled The People of Red
some investigation.
Larch gives details about some of the NPCs
Talking to Grindol the party might encounter around the village.
Grindol will be in a much more talkative mood The following information should emerge from
this morning. He is very upset and will insist conversations with these NPCs. If your players
that he didn’t want to hurt Kali, and that he are inexperienced, you might have one helpful
can’t understand why he stabbed her. NPC give them all of the information with only
a bit of prompting. If your players are more
In conversation, he will tell the PCs the
experienced, you will probably want to split
following information –
the information between NPCs, and make the
 He left Triboar a year ago after his wife PCs work harder to obtain it.
died of an illness. He came to Red Larch to
Here is the information -
start a new life
 He is a carpenter by trade, and has been  Kali has lived in the village for many years
doing odd-jobs around the village and is very popular
 He has struggled to make friends here  Kali has no family in the village, but many
friends
 He started having nightmares some time
ago, of a cloaked figure whispering violent  Grindol has only been in Red Larch for
suggestions to him about a year. He is seen as an outsider
and not much liked
 About two months ago he moved into
Nightwall Cottage. It was abandoned, so he  No-one knows why Grindol would kill Kali
decided to take possession and renovate it  Grindol is a good carpenter, and has done
 If asked whether the nightmares started work for a number of villagers
after he moved into the cottage, he will  Grindol recently moved into a rundown
pause a moment, then say "yes" house called Nightwall Cottage on the
eastern side of the village. He was
More Red Larch repairing it
Red Larch is a village of about 600 people  Nightwall Cottage has a bad reputation -
that lies on the Long Road, roughly midway people don't stay there long, and some
between Waterdeep and Triboar. If you would have even disappeared
like more detail about Red Larch, the D&D  Nightwall Cottage had been abandoned for
adventure Princes of the Apocalypse about five years when Grindol moved in
contains a map of the village and several
 The cottage was built by Randall
pages detailing a large number of the
Nightwall, who was a creepy hermit and
inhabitants and buildings.
very unpopular with the rest of the
villagers. He was run out of Red Larch
Talking to the Villagers twenty years ago after he was discovered
The PCs may decide to make some general interfering with corpses
enquiries around the village. One obvious
 When the PCs meet the magistrate, they
place to go would be back to the tavern. Meals
should say nice things about Red Larch as
are served throughout the day, so there are
he is very parochial.

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As it happened, her husband was never
The People of Red Larch executed - he escaped the night before his
Following are some of the people the PCs hanging. Lise swears that she hasn’t seen him
might encounter about the village - in the ten years since, and she believes he
must be dead.
 Garlen Harlathel – the jovial though greedy
proprietor of the Helm at Highsun tavern. He
Lynch Mob
has sharp brown eyes, coarse blonde hair, a
If one or more of the PCs stay in the butchers
plain face, and a gangly build.
back room that night, they will be woken in
 Imdarr Relvaundar – a rather stern priest early hours of the morning by the sound of
of Tempus. He has short brown hair, a thin someone clumsily creeping around outside.
face, and a large build. When they investigate they will find Ilmeth
Waelver the wainwright, along with a group of
 Helver Tarnlar – a clothier with a haughty
four other people. They are trying to force open
disposition. He has beady grey eyes, greasy
the door of the lockup. One of them is holding
brown hair, and a slender build.
a rope with a noose.
 Jalessa Ornra – the butcher. She has warm
The PCs will need to either intimidate or
blue eyes, slick red hair, and a lined face.
persuade the small lynch mob to return to
She is a nervous woman, and becomes
their homes and let justice take its natural
angry when put under pressure.
course.
 Ilmeth Waelver – a sullen and selfish
wainwright. He has wide blue eyes, fine
black hair, and a craggy face.
Nightwall Cottage
 Kaylessa Irkell – the sturdy and pleasant If the PCs have done even a small amount of
proprietor of the Swinging Sword inn. She investigation, they should conclude that there
has gentle grey eyes, wooly black hair and a is something strange going on in Nightwall
stout build. Cottage. The cottage itself lies on the eastern
edge of the village, on the Cairn Road. It is
Lise Buckthorn rather decrepit looking, though there is
Sometime in the afternoon, the party will be evidence of the repairs that Grindol has been
approached by a tiny old woman with sad eyes undertaking.
and wispy white hair. She will introduce See the map on page 11. One square = 5’.
herself as Lise Buckthorn.
She has heard that the PCs are investigating 1. Main Room
the death of Kali, and she wanted to talk to This room has a broken table, a few chairs, an
them. Ten years ago her husband, Dale old iron stove in the corner and a new broom
Buckthorn, was sentenced to hang in Red leaning against the wall. Most of the room is
Larch for stabbing a young man to death. Lise quite dusty, though parts of the floor have
insists that Dale was a gentle old man, and been recently swept. There is a pile of wood in
had no reason to commit the murder. the corner.
A few months before the murder, Dale and Lise The contains a sack of flour, a bottle of oil and
had moved into Nightwall Cottage. They both a small barrel of ale, alongside a pair of
began having strange and violent nightmares. sausages hanging from the roof. The sausages
Lise believes the cottage is cursed, and blames are covered with flies.
it for her husband’s crime.

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2. Bedroom Desk. The desk contains three old and
crumbling books. The titles are –
The floor of this room has been swept very
 A Wanderer in the Spirit Lands
clean. An old bed with fresh linen lies against
one wall. A spare set of clothes sits on the end  The Signature of All Things
of the bed.  The Forbidden Rites of Death Magick
On the wall hang a number of tools, including A DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check will
a frame saw, a plane, a mallet and chisel, identify these as necromantic texts.
some dividers, a straight edge and a pouch of Trapdoor. The trapdoor has an iron ring and
nails.
opens with some difficulty. Below it is a set of
A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) steep wooden stairs leading down 15’ to the
check will find a small purse hidden in the bed basement.
frame. It holds 35sp and a copper locket
containing a portrait of a dark haired young 4. Basement
lady. The walls of the basement are earthen, but the
Dark Whispers. Determine which PC has the floor is covered with old wooden planks. It is
lowest wisdom score, and secretly tell them filthy, covered with stone, dirt and old wood.
that they are starting to hear a menacing There is a chest against one wall, with a foul
whisper inside their head. The whisper says stench coming from it.
destructive and violent things such as – Chest. If the PCs approach the chest, it begins
 You don’t belong here shaking, and there is the sound of something
rattling inside it. Opening the chest will
 You are going to die
require a crowbar or a DC 10 Strength check.
 I’m coming to hurt you
When it is opened, 8 Crawling Claws will
 These people are not your friends emerge and attack whoever is closest. At the
 Get them before they get you! bottom of the chest is a container made from
 Run or die! an inverted human skull, and full of gold
These whispers will continue for as long as the pieces (95gp in total).
PC is in the house or the caverns beneath. Secret Door. A successful DC 15 Wisdom
They will vary in intensity, sometimes barely (Perception) check will locate a secret
noticeable, and other times filling the PCs trapdoor in the middle of the basement floor.
head. Every now and again, tell the PC that
they can’t help but verbally repeat one of the Beneath the trapdoor is a large cavern with
whispers. walls that glitter dimly in the light. Iron spikes
have been driven into the cavern wall next to
If the PC obtains the holy symbol of a good the trapdoor, and may be used to climb down
deity, they will no longer be affected by the to the floor 30’ below. Each PC must make a
dark whispers. DC 15 Dexterity saving throw in order to
make it down safely. If they fail, they must roll
3. Spare Room 1d6 and multiply by 5 to determine how many
The door to this room sticks a little and feet off the ground they were when they fell.
creaks. The room is full of cobwebs and there Normal falling rules then apply.
is thick dust on the floor.
There is an old writing desk and stool on one
side of the room and a trapdoor in the
southwest corner.

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nourishment from the sulfurous yellow soil,
The Caverns they leave they lair sometimes to snag the
occasional rat or bat. They can detect the
party, and will burst forth from the soil 1d4
Features
rounds after the PCs arrives. If the party
These large, natural caverns are primarily
dispatch the creatures and decide to dig out
shaped from limestone. The roof varies in
their lair (which will require shovels and 1d4
height, but is typically about 20’, whilst the
floor is highly uneven. Both floor and ceiling hours of work), they will find 100pp, which
are littered with stalagmites, stalactites and belonged to an unfortunate dwarf one of the
limestone columns. The cavern is quite wet in ankhegs devoured in the Underdark.
many parts, with puddles of water on the floor
and damp moss and lichen clinging to the 3. Slippery Slope
walls. This 20’ stretch of tunnel slopes down sharply;
The caverns are full of rats, bats, insects and the cavern floor is very uneven and is covered
other vermin which live on each other and the in scree.
lichen on the walls. There are 10 stirges nesting on the roof
See the map on page 12. One square = 5’. directly above the slope, and they will
immediately attack the party if they pass
Light underneath. Each round that a PC is fighting
The caverns are pitch dark. on the slope, they must make a DC 10
Dexterity saving throw or else slip and tumble
Resting down to the bottom of the slope, taking 1d4
Most of the creatures in the cavern are quite bludgeoning damage, and also provoking an
stationary, so the party can rest as needed. If opportunity attack from any stirges that they
you feel the party is taking too many rests, were fighting.
have 1d4 giant rats attack them in the middle
If the PCs search the slope, on a DC 15
of a break.
Wisdom (Perception) check they will find a

1. Glittering Cavern necklace with a small silver gauntlet attached


to it. It is a holy symbol of the god Torm, and
The walls of this large cavern are filled with belonged to the cleric buried in location #4.
tiny, natural, reflective stones. Any light
causes the entire cavern to glitter beautifully.
As mentioned above, there are a series of iron
4. Heroes End
spikes driven into the eastern wall, leading up The floor of the cavern here consists of
to the trapdoor in Nightwall Cottage. churned dark soil, and the PCs will spot a
partially buried metallic object protruding from
There is nothing of value here. the ground. If they dig it out, they will quickly
discover it is an old rusty sword, being gripped
2. Sulfurous Soil by a rotting hand.
The north-western corner of this cavern is Moments later, 6 zombies will rise from their
filled with thick, yellow soil. Anyone examining shallow graves and attack the PCs. From the
it will notice that it is quite churned up. There remnants of their rotting equipment and
is a sulfurous smell coming from it. clothing, it will be apparent that they were
This is actually home to 2 ankhegs, which once an adventuring party.
burrowed up from the depths of the earth If the PCs dig amongst the graves after
some time ago. Whilst deriving much dispatching the zombies, they will find 350cp,

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160sp and 50gp. They will also find a rotting attempt a surprise attack. If the PCs stop to
leather bag containing 10 large green dragon engage the mephits, they risk getting caught in
scales, worth 15gp each. the geyser (which will blow every 5 rounds). If
the PCs push on, they risk opportunity
5. Rat Attack attacks.

As the PCs pass through this area, they hear If the PCs decide to search the mud pool, it
loud splashing ahead and a scurrying, will take them about half an hour. A
scratching noise. 1d4 rounds later, they will successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check
be attacked by 10 giant rats. These creatures will see them find a bracelet made of electrum
have grown to enormous size living on the and silver, and worth 120gp.
other vermin in the caverns. They possess
nothing of value. 8. Den of Dark Magick
Just beyond the encounter area is a shallow The entrance to this irregularly shaped cavern
pool of fetid water. has been shaped into an arch, and carved with
symbols of the deity Bane – an upright hand
6. Abomination Corner with the thumb and fingers together in a claw
shape.
Hiding in the shadows of the north-western
passage is a gibbering mouther. This The cavern itself contains a small statue of
miserable creature is usually rather timid and Bane opposite the arch, depicting him as a
lives on small vermin, but the PCs present far figure in dark and ornate armour with jeweled
too tempting a meal to pass up. gloves, one hand held up in a claw shape.

The mouther has dwelt in this area for so long In the north part of the cavern is a small
that all of the area marked on the map is now chest, a smashed up cot, and an old table with
aberrant ground, as per the description in the some surgical implements on it. Toward the
Monster Manual. southern end of the room is a pile of bones,
many with rotting flesh still attached.
Tactics. As soon as the PCs get bogged down,
the mouther will commence gibbering and will Standing before the statue of Bane are 4
also make its blinding spittle attack. It should skeletons, each armed with a sword. Hiding
have a good chance of surprising the party. behind the pile of bones is a nothic. Using its
The following round the mouther will move in telepathic ability, it has been tracking the
to bite the nearest PC, and will continue to use party ever since they entered Nightwall
blinding spittle as often as it recharges. Cottage.

The Arch. The inside of the arch is inscribed


7. Mud Hole with a glyph of warding, though the glyph is
There is a large pool of mud in this cavern. old and not as potent as it once was. The first
Near the center of it is a geyser which blows creature to pass through the arch will trigger
out a stream of boiling mud every 30 seconds the glyph, and all creatures within 20’ will take
or so. Anyone caught within 10’ of the geyser 2d8 lightning damage. A DC 15 Dexterity
when it blows must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw will see the affected creatures
saving throw or take 3d6 fire damage. They take half damage.
will take half damage on a successful save.
Tactics. The four skeletons will stay stock still
The mud pool, while not deep, is home to 7 until the PCs close to melee range. At this
mud mephits who have migrated here from point, the skeletons will attack, and the nothic
the depths of the earth. They will wait until the will attempt to attack from the rear. The nothic
PCs are midway across the pool and then will not engage the party in melee until it is

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forced to - it will stay at a distance, using its
rotting gaze power.
If the party try to take the skeletons out at
Randall Nightwall’s Story
range, they will retreat to the southern part of As a young man, Randall inherited a
the cavern and wait for the PCs to enter. respectable sum of money from his father, a
prudent silver merchant from Waterdeep.
During combat, if any of the skeletons are
Randall never learned a trade, and spent his
destroyed, at the end of the round the eyes of
youth on a debauched lifestyle.
the statue of Bane will blaze briefly, and one
new skeleton will emerge from the pile of With funds running low he moved from the
bones. This will happen once per round until city to Red Larch. He was contemptuous of
there are four functioning skeletons again. If the villagers and they disliked him in turn. He
the statue is tipped over or the eyes (which are became a great recluse, and was increasingly
made of glass) are destroyed, new skeletons absorbed in the lonely study of necromancy.
will no longer be created. He discovered the caverns by chance and
Once the nothic is destroyed, the dark spent some of his dwindling funds
whispers afflicting one of the PCs will stop. constructing a new house above them –
Nightwall Cottage. These caverns became his
Treasure. The chest is neither locked nor workshop, and he began communing with
trapped. Inside it the PCs will find – dark powers and performing hideous
 2100 cp researches using forbidden magic. The
gibbering mouther and zombies were the
 1300 sp
results of some early experiments.
 320 gp
He regularly dug up corpses from the
 2 Citrines (50 gp ea.)
graveyard for use in his necromantic study.
 4 Moonstones (50 gp ea.)
One night he was discovered and hounded
 A Quartz (50 gp) from the village, but he slipped back in and
 A Sardonyx (50 gp) took up residence in the caverns. He still
 A Hat of Disguise occasionally moved amongst the villagers,
using a hat of disguise which he had acquired
 The Deed to Nightwall Farm – this 50-acre
years before.
farm has been occupied by squatters since
Randall disappeared. The PCs will be able One night an experiment went hideously
to sell the Deed in Red Larch for 200gp. wrong, and he found himself transmogrified
The statue of Bane is worth nothing – the into the form of a nothic. Although he
jeweled gloves were simply colored glass. retained a shadowy memory of his previous
life, he became an altogether more primal
Around the neck of one of the skeletons is a being, focused on food and inflicting misery.
small silver pendant with the name Lise
inscribed on it. Those who moved into Nightwall Cottage
became his special victims. Some he simply
devoured, creeping up from the basement at
night to steal them from their beds. But he
also used his newly acquired telepathic
abilities to torture their minds – some fled the
cottage screaming, while others (like poor
Grindol Farmoor) were driven to acts of
madness.

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Harburk will call the witnesses one by one,
Conclusion establishing beyond doubt that Grindol did in
fact stab poor Kali. Grindol will be unable to
Assuming the PCs emerge from the caverns offer a satisfactory explanation for his actions.
alive, they will soon encounter Aleena Ironsky,
Finally, Harburk will call the PCs and ask
returning with the magistrate, Harburk
them to tell their story. Even as he is cross-
Tuthmarillar. Harburk will wave aside any
examining them, he will be unable to keep his
information the PCs wish to share with him,
parochialism at bay. For example, if they are
saying they will need to save it for the trial.
talking about the Helm at Highsun, he might
He will then ask them what they think about say, “And tell me, how did you find the ale at
Red Larch. He won’t be satisfied with general the Helm? How does it compare to the ale at
answers and will ask them to back up their Waterdeep?” And so on.
responses with details. If they are positive
If the PCs are unable to provide a coherent
about the village he will be very friendly and
explanation for Grindol’s behavior, then
cordial. If they are at all negative he will be
Harburk will gravely find him guilty of murder
hurt and defensive, and will treat the PCs
and sentence him to hang.
coolly from then on.
However, if the PCs can give a credible account
If the PCs happen to see Lise Buckthorn and
of what they saw in the caverns (perhaps
show her the pendant from the skeleton, she
producing some physical evidence), and can
will excitedly tell them that it was her wedding
also explain a little about the nothic’s
gift to Dale, and will demand to know where
telepathic abilities, Harburk will accept their
they found it. The PCs will then have to decide
story.
whether to tell her about Dale’s cruel fate.
After declaring Grindol to be “not guilty on
The Trial account of magical possession”, Harburk will
The trial will take place the next morning. It is turn to the PCs, give a huge sigh, and say,
a bright and clear day, with Harburk sitting “One thing I never could stomach about Red
beneath a tree behind a small desk, wearing Larch – all the damned necromancers…”
his magisterial chain and looking stern.
Grindol stands near the desk with his hands
bound behind his back and Aleena firmly
holding one arm.

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Nightwall Cottage Map

3 2

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Caverns Map

soil

1
aberrant
ground
5
scree
3
6

puddle
4

mud geyser 8
7

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Credits & Legals
Design: M.T. Black
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of
the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon
ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster
Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D
Adventurers League, all other Wizards of the
Coast product names, and their respective
logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast
in the USA and other countries. All characters
and their distinctive likenesses are property of
Wizards of the Coast. This material is
protected under the copyright laws of the
United States of America. Any reproduction or
unauthorized use of the material or artwork
contained herein is prohibited without the
express written permission of Wizards of the
Coast.

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