Keys of

Wonder
HOUSE OF DYING SHADOWS
House of Dying Shadows
Keys of Wonder Lore Guide

H S PK D H W is a multi-planar
adventure in which the characters must
investigate a noble estate after the disappear-
provides background on the Shadow Realm,
Shadow Magic, an umbralourde, an additional
plot hook, and expanded gameplay options to
ance of Razell Ajora - a mage accomplished in incorporate into your game.
shadow magic.
Entering the Ajora Manor, the party is thrust
into a journey between the Material Plane and All Things Shadow
the Shadow Realm. The Shadow Realm is a
distorted, mirror dimension to the Material
Plane filled with strange dangers and magic. RS T
In their search, the party becomes prey to
a shadow devouring entity known as an um-
bralourde.The party must travel, back and
T he Shadow Realm is a mirror plane made
of nightmares, darkness, and distorted
reflections of the material plane. Where one
forth, between the two dimensions, rid the would find an extravagant fountain bursting
manor of its numerous curses, and destroy with fresh water on the Material Plane, in the
the umrablourde, thus releasing the spirit of Shadow Realm one finds a massive boulder
the trapped mage. covered with an oozing, black, inky substance.
If you're playing along with the Keys of Use the yortinsdaDevE table to add
Wonder campaign setting, this lore guide set dressing to the Ajora Manor.

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For more information on this adventure, the Greenwold, and
the rest of the Dungeon in a Box campaign, check out our site:

R T K trttDWP K L
Wr itten by Tavis Doucette. Edited by David Cr ennen.
Dungeon In A Box is not affiliated, endorsed, or sponsored by Wiz-
ards of the Coast® or Hasbro®. Dungeons & Dragons®, and D&D®
are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast®.

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Everyday Distortions
The following is a list of common objects or environments that have been distorted and
warped in the Shadow Realm to help the GM round out the intricacies of mirror plane
adventuring.

TKP M RS

A crumpled piece of paper A ball of thinly sliced bat wings that lightly animate when opened

A wooden desk and chair A blood-stained stone slab with a broken butcher’s knife

A fireplace with a pile of A gargantuan hearth shaped like the mouth of a beast. Long fangs
fresh wood hang from the mantle. A cauldron sways in the fire box. Inside the
cauldron is an oozy, dark-purple liquid. Consuming the liquid gives
a creature darkvision for 1 hour.

A large armoire filled A rotted, wooden foot locker. When opened, the lid crumbles to the
with fancy clothing and touch. Inside is a thin, leather corset with a note attached: “One day,
accessories my lover, we will join again in physical bliss!”

A hallway runner rug of The brittle molting of a giant boa constrictor. Every step sounds like
wonderfully woven design the crunch of tiny bones and the molting dissolves to dust.
and golden embroidery

Books with finely crafted A decrepit tome. The binding is falling apart, and the paper is thin
paper and immaculate as air. The ink is dried, brown blood. If a creature reads one word
penmanship of the book, they must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or the
character is afflicted with short term madness (DMG, pg. 259).

Ink quills and inkwells Long, severed humanoid fingers with sharpened nails, and a small
jar of a black, gooey substance that takes 1d8 minutes to pour out
of the jar.

A bottle of wine or ale A cleaved skull affixed to a metal base. Inside are stains of an
unknown substance

Plates and silverware A thinly cut sheet of shale and barbed, wrought-iron spears. Any
creature with a Strength score of 10 or higher who touches the
shale plate crushes it and takes 1d4 slashing damage as it slices
their hands.

A pink chaise longue with A pink chaise longue with five throw pillows. When a creature
five throw pillows touches the throw pillows, they screech and explode in a puff of
smoke. The creature must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw
or for one minute their speed becomes zero and their action and
bonus action are spent retching and vomiting.

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 The Umbralourde Shadow Magic for Dummies

T he Shadow Realm holds within it many

horrors of the night: bodaks, nightwalkers,
ghosts, and shadow dragons. The realm is filled
S hadow magic is still an elusive school of
the arcane. Due to its association with evil
creatures, it has been shunned by most magical
with monstrosities hungry to devour the light of institutions as a serious field of study. However,
an innocent. But none delights in such terrors as there isn't anything inherently vile about the
the umbralourde. shadow magic - like most knowledge it can be
The umbralourde is a corrupted soul, that used for good or ill.
transforms into a demon. This transformation Razell Ajora began by seeking to solve her
is brought on by the severing of a creature personal problems through exploring the pow-
from its shadow. The shadow, containing the ers of shadow magic, but delving into it set her
darker emotions of the creature, will wax in on a path of personal destruction. Of course,
size and power if left to linger in abeyance. As there are two sides to every story, and much
the shadow grows larger, it begins to hunger to be learned from the forbidden.
- desiring sustenance to continue to grow in
size and power. This sustenance it gains from DKS ALTR
the shadows of other creatures, which it is Razell taught herself ways of controlling
able to gradually siphon off. If the shadow has shadow magic to face her fears. Learning a
embedded itself in a place where it can safely new, unstudied magic is a difficult task for
feed, it will continue to grow until finally a new even the most skilled archmage, but through
umbralourde is born! perseverance and fear-based desire Razell was
Umbralourde’s seeks to gain temporary able to tap into magics not normally available to
dominion over a section of both the Material mage’s like herself. Furthermore, Razell crafted
Plane and the Shadow Realm. It coccoons itself her own shadow spells.
in a haven of darkness, emerging only to devour While the party is exploringr o n a M s a r o j A ,
the shadows of the unwary and fatten itself on they have the opportunity to discover Razell
the tasty delight of sorrow and dread. How- Ajora’s Spellbook. In searching they r a b i L (See
ever, an umbralourde cannot survive long on S PK D H W pg. 7) on the Mate-
its own. The negative emotions that led to the rial Plane, a DC 19 Intelligence (Investigation)
umbralourde's birth and define its existence or Wisdom (Perception) check reveals Razell
prevent it from leaving its haunt behind, or Ajora’s Spellbook (see sidebar), a leather bound
developing in any way beyond its desire for tome with an opaque black-purple binding.
safety, and the ceaseless desire to feed. If driven
outside its shadowy coccoon, the umbralourde
quickly becomes weak and powerless.

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Razell Ajora’s Spellbook
Razell Ajora had spent years tampering with necrotic damage
the forbidden shadow arts. In doing so, she and must make a
Constitution saving
calculated ways in which she could harness
throw. On a failure,
powers normally given as boons to other the target's maximum hit points are reduced
magic users. by the same amount, until they bathe in the
Any character who wishes to use Razell sun for 1 minute. A creature’s maximum hit
Ajora’s Spellbook to decipher her magical points can only be reduced once per day.
breakthroughs must go through a laborious • Shadow Jump. Level: 2. Casting time: 1
process of arcane analysis. The spellbook has Bonus Action. Range: Self. Components: V.
the following properties: Duration: Instantaneous. School: Shadow.
• Razell Ajora’s Spellbook can only be read by a Damage/Effect: Teleportation. Tapping
Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, or Wizard. into the Shadow Realm, you teleport to an
unoccupied space of another creature’s
• A character must spend 24 hours over a period shadow that you can see.
of 6 days or fewer studying the book’s contents
and practicing the spells. • Umbral Blast. Level: 3. Casting Time: 1
Action. Range: 120 ft (15-foot-radius
• The character gains access to 1st and 2nd level sphere). Components: V, S, M (single
spells from the Warlock spell list. hair from a fresh corpse). Duration:
• The character’s Intelligence or Charisma score Instantaneous. School: Shadow. Attack/
increases by 1, to a maximum of 20. Save: CHA Save. Damage: Psychic. You
extend your psyche and call upon the
• The character can prepare the following Shadow Realm to a point within range,
shadow magic spells: commanding every creature’s shadows in
• Piercing Shade. Level: 1. Casting time: 1 the area to attack their host. Each creature
action. Range: 60 ft. Components: V, S, M in a 15-foot-radius sphere centered on a
(dirt taken from a moonless night). Duration: point must make a Charisma saving throw.
Concentration, up to 1 minute. School: A target takes 6d6 psychic damage on a
Shadow. You sever a portion of your shadow failed save, or half as much damage on a
and hurl it at a creature within range. Make successful one. Each creature loses their
a ranged spell attack against the creature reaction until the end of their next turn
as your shadow pierces through the target’s regardless of the outcome of their save.
umbra. On a hit, the target takes 1d10

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 Alternate Plot Hook creation: the Midnight Knocker. Previously
entrusted to the Alabaster Academy, the

T he following plot hook is an alternate way

to incorporate SDKPHW
into your campaign, using the Lost Keys of
knocker was removed by one of its professors
and brought to a noble estate: Majora's Manor.
If I read my oracles correctly, it would seem
rednoW storyline. that this key resonates with a unique tone - a the
sound of shadow. You brave few are a beacon
SWPHT of melodic hope in a world of discordance! Sing
The party, while bedding down for a long rest, music, fair adventurers, and the calliope shall
are suddenly set upon by a swarm of bats. The sing with you!
bats are a danger only to the small winged in- The party can easily inquire from any locals
sects that they feed on in the night sky. As they or travelers about Ajora’s Manor. The Ajora’s
swoop and dive their high-pitched chittering were once well known nobles before abruptly
takes on the tones of a song, just audible on the disappearing.
edge of the ultrasonic frequency. The party now has the opportunity to
Out of this swarm of bats, one flitters toward a retrieve the midnight knocker, and save Razell
party member, clutching a rolled up letter in its Ajora from her eternal unrest!
feet. Inside is a missive from Maestro Hewert:
Hello, my brave adventurers and confidants!
I can feel your tonal energies bringing harmony
to the universe with every action and step! As I
continue in my quest to restore the Calliope of
Wonder and return the lost keys, I implore you
to seek out one of these lost articles of musical

The Ajora Manor

The Ajora Manor is located in the rural farmland region known as the Granges (see map above),
a few days ride outside of Grayhaven. Situated at the end of a long-neglected grassy lane, the
mouldering estate of the Ajora family is surrounded by weed-filled fields and unruly hedges have
have grown unchecked for years.