Cont ent s Ch. 1: Rise of Elemental Evil..............................4 Using This Book..............................................5 Adventure Background................................... 5 Adventure Synopsis........................................ 6 Elemental Cults.............................................. 7 Cult of the Black Earth.............................8 Cult of the Crushing Wave........................9 Cult of the Eternal Flame........................10 Cult of the Howling Hatred..................... 11 Running the Adventure................................. 12 Adventure Hooks....................................12 Factions...................................................14 Starting the Adventure........................... 17 Preparing for Play.................................. 17 Using Monster References...................... 17 Using the Side Treks...............................17 Ch. 2: The Dessarin Valley.................................18 History...........................................................19 Current Events.............................................. 19 Red Larch..................................................... 19 Important Red Larchers......................... 20 The Believers..........................................20 Adventure in Red Larch......................... 20 Rumors of Evil........................................ 21 Red Larch Locations.............................. 22 Exploring the Valley...................................... 29 Travel......................................................29 Random Encounters.............................. 30 Valley Sites.................................................... 31 The Uthgardt Tribes..................................... 39 Ch. 3: Secret of the Sumber Hills......................40 The Missing Delegation................................40 Early Investigations...................................... 42 Cult Reprisals................................................44 Feathergale Spire..........................................46 Knights’ Quest.............................................. 49 Sighing Valley...............................................50 Rivergard Keep............................................. 52 Sacred Stone Monastery.............................. 59 Scarlet Moon Hall.........................................69 Ch. 4: Air, Earth, Fire, Water.............................74 Rooting Out Evil............................................74 Cult Retaliation............................................. 76 Temple of Howling Hatred............................78 Temple of the Crushing Wave....................... 84 Temple of Black Earth...................................95 Temple of Eternal Flame.............................103 Ch. 5: Temple of the Elder Elemental Eye..... 112 Wrath of the Elements................................. 112 Fighting the Prophets.................................. 115 Saving the Delegates...................................115 Fane of the Eye............................................115 The Howling Caves..................................... 123 The Plunging Torrent..................................128 The Black Geode.........................................135 The Weeping Colossus.................................141 Concluding the Campaign...........................146 Ch. 6: Alarums and Excursions.......................148 Trouble in Red Larch...................................148 Into the Wilderness......................................149 Necromancer’s Cave....................................151 Tomb of Moving Stones.............................. 153 Side Treks................................................... 159 New Management................................. 160 Iceshield Orcs....................................... 163 The Long Road..................................... 166 Curse of the Fire Witch........................ 167 Vale of Dancing Waters.........................172 Dark Dealings in Yartar........................175 Rundreth Manor....................................179 Halls of the Hunting Axe.......................180 Ch. 7: Monsters and Magic Items....................188 Monsters......................................................188 Howling Hatred Cultists....................... 189 Black Earth Cultists..............................195 Eternal Flame Cultists..........................200 Crushing Wave Cultists........................205 Other Villains........................................209 Elemental Myrmidons..........................212 Princes of Elemental Evil............................214 Magic Items.................................................222 Elemental Magic Items.........................222 Relics of Besilmer.................................223 Elemental Weapons.............................. 224 Appendix A: Genasi..........................................227 Appendix B: Spells.......................................... 230 Spell Lists...................................................230 Spell Descriptions.......................................233 Appendix C: Adapting to Other Worlds..........243 Afterword......................................................... 251
C h a p t e r 1: R i s e o f E l e m e n t a l E v i l terrible threat gathers in the North. Throughout this region of the Forgotten Realms, savage marauders bring destruction. Monsters are on the prowl, preying on flocks, rampaging through croplands, and attacking homesteads and travelers. In settlements, discord and suspicion grow. Sinister strangers lurk in the shadows, whispering about how everything is soon to change. This year brought an unseasonably warm and stormy spring. Tales spread of flooding, windstorms, wildfires, and tremors. These troubles have a source known to few in the North: Elemental Evil. Servants of this malevolence gather in the Sumber Hills and spy on the Dessarin Valley, drawn by a force they can’t explain. Dabbling in dangerous lore, these fanatics seek to master elemental magic and unleash its destructive power everywhere. And they are further along in their plans than most people in the North realize. Four elemental cults grow in power in the Sumber Hills, claiming abandoned keeps that connect to an underground fortress once part of an ancient dwarven kingdom. Within those chambers are the remnants of a temple built by drow worshipers of Elemental Evil. A
Each of the four cults venerates a powerful entity of air, earth, fire, or water: a Prince of Elemental Evil. Like their princes, the four cults are rivals, yet they all serve a mysterious force they call the Elder Elemental Eye. A prophet gifted with a powerful elemental weapon leads each cult. Those weapons—Windvane, Ironfang, Tinderstrike, and Drown—were the catalysts for the creation of four elemental nodes, places where the Elemental Planes connect to the Material Plane. The cults draw elemental creatures through the nodes, and they use elemental magic to create devastation orbs capable of ravaging the countryside. They’ve been testing these magic weapons, bolstering the cults’ ranks, and infiltrating various communities, all directed by visions the prophets receive from the Elder Elemental Eye. In time, each prophet hopes to entice his or her elemental prince to pass through the node and wreak devastation on the Dessarin Valley and beyond. U sin g T h is B o o k Princes of the Apocalypse presents an epic campaign against the forces of Elemental Evil that can occupy you and your players for many months. Characters who are at least 3rd level can dive right into the main adventure. A party of 1st- or 2nd-level characters should start with the mini-adventure in chapter 6. This chapter provides the background of Elemental Evil’s appearance in the campaign, and a synopsis of the adventure. The four elemental cults, which serve as the primary foes of the campaign, are also described in this chapter. Although the cults are all linked by their hunger for power and proclivity for destruction, each has its own leader and preferred methods. Further, this chapter offers guidelines for starting and running the adventure. Chapter 2 explores the Dessarin Valley, the setting for this adventure (and many others, if you wish). The Dessarin River, one of the mighty waterways of the North, runs through a barely settled frontier region a few days’ travel from the great city of Waterdeep. A handful of small towns and outposts are scattered through the region, linked to more populous lands by ancient roads and the broad river. The heart of this area, the Sumber Hills, has become the stronghold where the elemental cults build their bases of power. Chapter 3 begins the adventure in earnest. In this chapter, the characters learn that trouble has taken root in the Dessarin Valley and that evil forces are on the loose. By exploring, the characters find the first outposts of the four elemental cults—the so-called Haunted Keeps. In chapter 4, the characters discover that the four cults occupy a sprawling dungeon complex beneath the Sumber Hills. The temples serve as the base for the cultists’ insidious attacks against the Dessarin Valley. Chapter 5 describes the ancient caverns beneath the temple complex and the altar dedicated to Elemental Evil. From these caverns, passages lead to four elemental nodes, places where forces from Elemental Planes have established a foothold in the world. Within each node, a portal to one of those planes grows in intensity. The characters must destroy the cults there before the Princes of Elemental Evil are unleashed upon the world. Chapter 6 presents adventures that are secondary to the main storyline. Use them as you see fit. Some are especially useful if you start the adventure with lst-level characters. Chapter 7 details NPCs, new monsters, and new magic items. Appendixes A and B contain new material for players to use in creating their characters for the campaign. Appendix C provides advice for adapting this adventure to other D&D campaign settings. A d v e n tu re B ack g ro u n d The threat of Elemental Evil surfaces in different worlds of the multiverse whenever the force known as the Elder Elemental Eye tests its strength. In its current incarnation, Elemental Evil arises in the Sumber Hills. The scattered towns and isolated homesteads of this frontier now face a dire threat. If the forces of Elemental Evil can’t be defeated before they grow, madness and destruction could spread unchecked through the North. The presence of Elemental Evil in the Sumber Hills goes back thousands of years, when a sect of renegade drow discovered the extensive caverns beneath the Sumber Hills and claimed it as their territory. These dark elves venerated a terrible god of primordial evil, and they built a shrine to this nameless power. In time, the ancient drow cult faded away (or was wiped out), and the place known as the Temple of the Elder Elemental Eye was forgotten for centuries. The dwarves of Besilmer were the next folk to discover the site. Besilmer was a realm of pastures and cropland. The dwarves established an underground stronghold called Tyar-Besil beneath the Sumber Hills to defend against the trolls and giants that plagued the region. The dwarves discovered the ancient drow hold and its temple below their own delvings. They lacked the strength to clean out the ruins, so they abandoned their deeper excavations. Trolls and giants soon broke the realm of Besilmer, and the remaining dwarves abandoned the place altogether. Over the years, adventurers occasionally stumbled across the buried stronghold of Tyar-Besil and the drow vaults below it. Few made any lasting record of their explorations, and their names are forgotten. But in the year 893 DR (using the Dalereckoning calendar, about 600 years before the present day), a band of adventurers called the Knights of the Silver Horn found the place and commenced an exploration of the ruins. The adventurers came back to Tyar-Besil again and again, and when they decided to establish strongholds and tame the territory, they raised their keeps over each of the known access points leading to the ancient dwarven ruins. The adventurers feared something in the deep caves below the Sumber Hills, and they intended to set a permanent watch over the area. History didn’t cooperate. A generation or two after the Knights of the Silver Horn established their strongholds, an orc horde swept through the North, and the keeps were overrun. For centuries they stood empty.
Locals came to know them as the Haunted Keeps, and various monsters occasionally occupied the ruins. The abandoned keeps and the dwarven stronghold beneath them might have been forgotten forever, but a few years ago a drow named Vizeran DeVir returned to the ancient Fane of the Eye. A renegade drow wizard of great power, DeVir was no servant of Lolth; like the forgotten sect that created the temple long ago, he devoted himself to the nameless power of the Elder Elemental Eye. His beliefs led to his exile from drow society, but his faithfulness to this dark power did not go unrewarded. Guided by visions, Vizeran DeVir created four mighty weapons imbued with Elemental Evil: the spear Windvane, the dagger Tinderstrike, the trident Drown, and the war pick Ironfang. He left these weapons on the altar of the Elder Elemental Eye for their fated bearers to discover. Within the last few months, each of the four elemental prophets was driven to seek out the ancient altar by dreams or visions. One by one, Aerisi Kalinoth, Vanifer, Gar Shatterkeel, and Marlos Urnrayle claimed their weapons and became the leaders of their respective cults. The four prophets established themselves in the ruins of dwarven Tyar-Besil and occupied the Haunted Keeps that guard access to the vast dungeon. Lunatics, outlaws, power-hungry villains, and monsters of all description began to trickle into the valley, drawn by the dark call of Elemental Evil. Meanwhile, the prophets experimented with their new toys, nurturing the seeds of elemental nodes that grew larger every day and testing their powers to create ever-larger natural disasters. After thousands of years, the seeds of Elemental Evil once again sprout beneath the Sumber Hills. Whether anyone can expose these sinister plots and put a stop to them remains to be seen. A d v e n tu re S y n o p sis The adventure begins when the characters arrive in the town of Red Larch, a small settlement on the western side of the Dessarin Valley. Strange rumors and ominous signs have the townsfolk concerned, including reports of bandit attacks on the roads, piracy on the Dessarin River, and monster sightings too close to town. But the mystery that has keen observers of the region most concerned is the disappearance of a delegation traveling overland from the city of Mirabar to Waterdeep. The delegation stopped in the tiny village of Beliard, where the members mentioned their intent to visit sacred dwarven sites before continuing on to Goldenfields. They were last seen at the west end of the Stone Bridge, turning south to proceed overland through the heart of the Sumber Hills. It has now been almost a month, and the delegation never showed up at Goldenfields or any other outpost. Powerful factions have good reason to worry about the missing delegation. The Harpers are concerned about a noted dwarf historian who was part of the delegation. The Emerald Enclave wants to know what happened to a pouch of magical seeds one of the delegation members was bringing to Goldenfields. Even the Zhentarim are interested in trying to improve their relations with Mirabar by helping to solve the mystery. Whether the characters set out to search for the missing delegation or choose to investigate another lead, they soon find clues that lead them to the Haunted Keeps in the Sumber Hills. All of these are now occupied by strange new sects masquerading as harmless societies or reclusive orders, but these outposts serve Elemental Evil. When the characters infiltrate or defeat these disguised groups of cultists, they discover that each Haunted Keep guards a passage leading to a huge dungeon beneath the Sumber Hills, the new Temple of Elemental Evil. Here, the elemental cults have established themselves in the ruins of an ancient dwarven stronghold. They are building up their strength as they work to master elemental power. The characters come up against the elemental prophets and confront one of the four cult leaders, whose identity depends on which part of the temple the characters explore first. Even as the characters delve into the elemental temples, their successes provoke retaliation. The elemental prophets dispatch bands of cultists armed with devastation orbs—essentially bombs of elemental energy created from the elemental nodes—to unleash natural disasters throughout the Dessarin Valley, punishing everyone for the characters’ interference. Despite fierce opposition in the various elemental temples and the retribution of the offended cults, the characters succeed in rescuing some of the Mirabar delegates and driving out some or all of the cults from their newly established bases in Tyar-Besil. Unfortunately, other members of the delegation remain missing, and various other leads and mysteries remain unresolved. Worse yet, it quickly becomes clear that the elemental cults are on the brink of unleashing unthinkable disasters. As an elemental apocalypse grows nearer, the characters discover passages leading from the cultcontrolled territory in Tyar-Besil to the far older (and more dangerous) caverns known as the Fane of the Eye, dug long ago by drow. Here they find the evil altar dedicated to the Elder Elemental Eye, where the characters confront another of the elemental prophets (again, the prophet they fight depends on which part of the dungeon they explore first). They also find passages leading into the ultimate sanctums of the cults: the elemental nodes known as the Black Geode, the Howling Caverns, the Plunging Torrents, and the Weeping Colossus. In the last stage of the adventure, the characters face the daunting task of pursuing the remaining two elemental prophets into their places of power. The most powerful and dedicated followers of each of the four cults guard these sanctums, which are infused with elemental energy and warped into strange reflections of the Elemental Planes. At the heart of each elemental node, the characters find a great portal that serves as a conduit from its associated elemental plane. Here the remaining cult leaders make their stands, and here the characters face the overwhelming power of the Princes of Elemental Evil. Victory might seem doubtful against such opponents, but clever and resourceful characters
can find ways to destroy the portals instead of trying to slay these dire beings. With the portals shut, the elemental nodes revert to normal, and any surviving cultists scatter to the four winds. Their stronghold is destroyed and their leaders are dead; Elemental Evil is defeated in this world for now. E le m e n ta l C u lts Elemental Evil perverts the natural elements, limiting them to aspects of destruction. This force wants to gain the power to tear down everything—morals, social structures, governments, the laws of nature—and reduce existence to a more elemental state, tainted with conflict and madness. Elemental Evil uses mortal servants as a means to this end. These hateful principles take two primary forms in the world. The first is corruption. Elemental Evil tempts the broken, the wronged, and the wicked with the power to strike back. It represents the worm in the apple, a hidden corruption that grows stronger over time as the natural order decays. Secret cults spring up, institutions are debased, and the fundamental laws governing the seasons begin to weaken. As Elemental Evil grows stronger, its corruption grows into the second form: madness. Cultists sink into insanity, lashing out at everything around them or destroying themselves in elemental cataclysms. Ruin rules as the forces of nature become instruments of destruction. A world in which Elemental Evil triumphed would exist only as an everlasting war of raging elements. Elemental Evil appears in different worlds throughout the many ages. This sinister force—the Elder Elemental Eye—is well hidden in Faerun. Individuals remain susceptible to its call: those lured by the promise of power, those who know only hate in their hearts, those whose minds are broken and therefore open to insinuation and dark whispers. These are the servants of Elemental Evil, and they can cause immeasurable harm if they aren’t exposed and rooted out. Although destruction is the unifying principle of Elemental Evil, beings that serve this dark force don’t necessarily adhere to that goal. Only the most unbalanced minds seek destruction for its own sake. Instead, the servants of Elemental Evil seek power through the destructive might of one of the elements of air, earth, fire, or water. This is the origin of the four elemental cults that together compose the worship of Elemental Evil. The cults operate independently of each other. Each believes that its favored element is the most powerful and most worthy of worship. Rank-and-file members of the air cult sneer at the idea that anyone could see something worth worshiping in elemental earth, fire,
or water. Members of the other cults reel the same way about any cult but their own. Only the best-educated or most magically gifted members understand that a unifying principle underlies each elemental cult. Even then, they believe that their element should reign supreme. Despite these different goals and varying methods, the elemental cults are linked to each other by forces they don’t fully understand. From world to world and age to age, the cults of Elemental Evil have risen again and again. Each time, the cultists of elemental air, earth, fire, and water are joined to the same dark fate. Throughout the adventure, characters have ample opportunity to see the symbol associated with each of the four cults. They could figure out how the four symbols connect to form a fifth symbol: that of the Elder Elemental Eye. C u lt of th e B lack E a rth The earth cult worships the implacable strength and unyielding resistance of elemental earth. Cultists seek the power to destroy the works of civilization with landslides, sinkholes, or mighty earthquakes, thus demonstrating the true power of elemental earth and the futility of resistance. Earth cultists see mines, quarries, and tilled fields as insults imposed upon the living rock and soil. They believe the earth thirsts for the blood of those who don’t venerate it before all other powers and beings. The Cult of the Black Earth appeals to those who draw their fortunes from the earth—directly or indirectly. In areas where the influence of Elemental Evil takes hold, animals and monsters that live or burrow in the ground accept the cultists as allies. Creatures such as ankhegs or bulettes, normally too stupid and ravenous to be trained, submit to the will of the Black Earth. The monsters allow themselves to be herded or ridden into battle against the enemies of the cult. The Sign of the Black Earth. The symbol of the earth cult signifies purpose and stability. Cultists sometimes identify themselves with a hand gesture: they make a triangle by touching the thumbs and forefingers of both hands together. Tactics and Philosophy The Black Earth cult is the most defense-minded and patient of the four elemental cults. Earth cultists admire stoicism, endurance, and unyielding resolve. They are deliberate and slow to act, careful to consider their plans and gather their strength before beginning any new enterprise. Once earth cultists resolve to act, they
are inflexible, grinding their way forward through any obstacle or unforeseen development. They are singleminded in the extreme, and most earth cultists have little use for social niceties. They see common courtesy as a way for the weak to put limits on the behavior of the strong, and they scorn empathy or friendship as weakness. In battle, Black Earth cultists are brutal and straightforward. They overpower foes with direct assaults, although if they have the opportunity to undermine defenses or attack from below, they unhesitatingly put their skill at tunneling and mastery of burrowing monsters to good use. They are unflinching in the face of death. Surrender is never an option. Earth cultists live and work underground. They craft weapons from stone or iron and “bathe” themselves in sand or dirt to feel close to their favored element. Black Earth initiates know the secret of creating armor from magically shaped stone, and even their robes include stone pauldrons or masks. Prophet of Earth A medusa named Marlos Urnrayle leads the Black Earth cult. He wields the elemental weapon Ironfang, a war pick infused with the power of Ogremoch, the Prince of Evil Earth. Marlos is vain and cruel, an extreme narcissist who delights in surrounding himself with objects of beauty and luxurious comforts. Beneath this sneering self-assurance lies a bitter being who loathes himself and holds everyone around him in contempt. Marlos began life as a human aristocrat, born into a wealthy Cormyrean family. He squandered his family’s wealth on endless self-indulgence, seeking more questionable forms of entertainment through the years. The Urnrayle estate became known as a place of outrageous masquerades, bizarre banquets, and grotesque orgies. Marlos required his guests to don ugly or monstrous masks, thus ensuring that no one’s beauty would outshine his own. As he aged, Marlos turned to magic to preserve his fading beauty. After searching for years, he found a ring that contained the stolen vitality of a lovely fey creature. As long as he wore the ring, his imperfections vanished and no one could resist his physical charms—until the day the ring transformed Marlos into a medusa. The horror of his fate drove Marlos mad. He fled his ancestral home, taking his collection of masks with him. After years of wandering and hiding in one ruined estate or another across the Western Heartlands, Marlos felt drawn to the desolate Sumber Hills by troubling dreams and visions. A long stairway beneath a ruined monastery brought him to an ancient cavern with a hideous altar, upon which lay a war pick of iron. When the medusa claimed Ironfang, his purpose finally became clear to him. He established his lair in the dungeon nearby and began building the Cult of the Black Earth. Traits. Unlike many of his followers, Marlos is genteel and well-spoken. He delights in witty banter and pointed repartee, although he is quick to make a cutting remark or jest at someone else’s expense. Marlos takes pleasure in mocking others, especially if he can do so in a clever or elegant way. Marlos’s previous life had been a constant search for pleasure, but the only thing that now stirs his loveless soul is refined cruelty. He can be driven to fits of blind, unreasoning jealousy if he is outshone by another urbane and attractive individual. Enemies and Allies The Black Earth cultists are highly suspicious of the Cult of Howling Hatred. They believe that the air cultists are mercurial, unreliable, and generally out of touch with reality. The earth cultists respect the strength and ferocity of the Eternal Flame followers, but also find them maddeningly inconstant. Black Earth cultists ally most often with the Crushing Wave, since they admire the patience and pragmatism of the water cultists. C u l t o f t h e C ru s h in g W ave Cultists of the Crushing Wave worship the awesome power of water, from the surging tides and deadly maelstroms of the sea to the raging torrents of rivers in flood and the rockcrushing power of ice and glaciers. Crushing Wave cultists see all living creatures as nothing more than trapped water that could one day be free to return to the seas or skies in a new form. The seas and deep waters are eager to reclaim the parts of themselves currently held in the blood and bodies of living creatures, and it is the duty of Crushing Wave initiates to return nonbelievers to the primal waters by drowning them or shedding their blood. The Crushing Wave cult appeals to those who live in or near bodies of water, as well as to those who appreciate subtlety and inevitability. Wicked sea creatures such as aquatic ghouls and merrows are friendly toward water cultists. Even non-sentient predators such as sharks or octopuses understand that water cultists are allies to be aided or masters to be obeyed. The Sign of the Crushing Wave. Water cultists use a simple hand sign to identify one another when a token of recognition is required: crossing the forefingers and overlapping the thumbs to create an X-shape linked by a line across the bottom. It stands for water’s eternal surge and retreat, a cycle of unending change. Tactics and Philosophy Crushing Wave cultists are almost as patient and stoic as the followers of the earth cult. They understand the value of outlasting formidable foes and slowly eroding their defenses. However, they are far more flexible and opportunistic in their overall philosophy than the earth cultists are. Like a flood that seeks the weak point in a levee and then bursts through with ever-growing strength, water cultists are quick to sense an opening and then act to exploit it. This philosophy of pragmatism and opportunism means that the Crushing Wave is the most mercenary of the four elemental cults. Water cultists eagerly seek out rich prizes and use their illgotten loot to develop their schemes. In combat, Crushing Wave cultists excel as skirmishers. They value mobility and opportunism, rarely making a stand in one place for long. Instead, they
feign retreats, regroup, and launch new attacks, wearing down their foes like storm-driven waves eating away at a sandy beach. Almost all water cultists are excellent swimmers skilled at fighting in water, so they look for opportunities to surprise their enemies by using bodies of water to slip around or through defenses. Because the cultists see water as the wellspring of all life and purpose, they spend as much time in or around it as possible. Many cult hideouts are located near large bodies of water, and those that aren’t feature hidden pools or wells in which cult members can immerse themselves. Water cultists prize water-breathing magic and seek it out for no other reason than to spend hours meditating underwater. Few cultists gain any profound insights from these exercises. Prophet of W ater The former sailor Gar Shatterkeel leads the Crushing Wave cult. He wields the elemental weapon Drown, a trident imbued with the essence of Olhydra, Princess of Evil Water. Gar is a sullen man who says little, letting his actions speak for him. He believes he has been wronged by the world and hates all people except those as broken and unfortunate as himself. Gar also despises weakness in others. Gar was born in a poor fishing village in the Nelanther Isles. At a young age, he lost his family to a Sahuagin attack. The sea devils slaughtered almost everyone he knew. A Tethyrian merchant galley conscripted the young orphan into service, and Gar was forced into a brutal indentured servitude that was barely better than being enslaved. His unwilling service came to an end when pirates attacked the merchant ship. During the fighting, Gar was knocked overboard. For days he survived by clinging to the ship’s wreckage, until a shark ripped off his left arm. Death seemed imminent, but a powerful current arose and bore him away from the hungry predator. Within an hour he was cast upon the shores of the Sword Coast. Gar believed that the current that had saved his life was an elemental sent by the sea. From that day forward, he devoted himself to the ocean, teaching himself its secrets and learning powerful water magic over years of lonely wandering. He despised all other people, remembering only his harsh treatment by the merchant crew and the brutality of the pirates. But in time he became aware of a call to a higher purpose, impelling him to find other examples of human flotsam and teach them about the power of the sea. Gar’s visions led him to the secret waters beneath the Sumber Hills. He found a hidden cavern temple, on whose altar lay a powerful magical trident. Sensing its power, Gar took up the weapon and began to call his cult to join him in the Temple of the Crushing Wave. Traits. Gar is covered in barnacles, and he wears an artificial arm in the shape of a crab’s claw over the stump of his left arm. He never uses two words when one will do, and he believes that anyone addressing him with courtesy is either insincere or subtly mocking him. The water prophet’s primary motivation is retribution; the world has been cruel to him, and he intends to make everyone else suffer as he has. He longs to be near the ocean again and is distressed by the fact that the driving force behind his visions keeps him so far from the sea. Enemies and A llies The followers of the Crushing Wave detest the Cult of the Eternal Flame. They find the fire cultists to be hostile, short-tempered, and unforgivably rash. The Howling Hatred cultists aren’t as hostile, but they are likewise given to sudden impulses and are unreliable. The water cultists get along with the Cult of the Black Earth. The earth cultists are deliberate and dependable, if perhaps too inflexible for their own good. C u lt o f th e E te rn a l Flam e The followers of the Eternal Flame cult worship the destructive power of fire in all its manifestations. They seek the power to burn away the “corruption” of both civilization and nature with volcanic eruptions, forest fires, heat waves, and droughts, creating a wasteland of ash and cinders ruled by fire alone. Eternal Flame cultists believe the world and all its peoples are wicked and malformed, and they consider it a sacred duty to “purify” everything around them by reducing their surroundings to smoking cinders. The Eternal Flame appeals to those drawn to destruction for its own sake. Creatures of elemental fire are most likely to take up this reckless philosophy; even non-intelligent fire monsters sense the reckless lust for destruction lurking in the hearts of fire cultists and consider Eternal Flame believers to be their allies. The Sign of the Eternal Flame. The symbol of the fire cult is reminiscent of a bowl-like brazier with a burning flame. Fire cultists sometimes identify themselves with a symbolic hand sign: holding one hand in a fist, thumb up, and laying the other hand over the fist as if to cover the bowl but allow the flame to show. Members of the cult can also be identified by their burn scars. Tactics and Philosophy Fire cultists are impetuous, hot-tempered, and violent. They aren’t mindless savages; their impetuousness also encompasses fiendish inventiveness and a drive to devise new tools for their mad cause. They are masters of fire and forge, taking captives to work in their infernal foundries. Fire cultists see conquest and enslavement of the weak as necessary steps in bringing about the chaos they intend to unleash on the world. In battle, fire cultists launch sudden, overwhelming assaults. They throw themselves into reckless attacks with no regard for their own lives, seeking to cause as much damage as possible before falling. They are fearless and would rather die fighting among a mob of enemies than retreat a single step. Followers of the Eternal Flame cult surround themselves with the largest fires they can create. Their favorite tactic involves using magic to open volcanic fissures or vents and channel flows of molten rock. Widespread arson and deliberately set forest fires are acceptable alternatives. Most fire cultists believe that something important and beautiful should be set on fire every day, or else they’re just not doing their part.
Fire Prophet Through all-consuming ambition and a desire to punish all who ever thwarted her dreams, the tiefling Vanifer has risen to leadership of the Eternal Flame cult. Beneath her refined exterior is a steel edge of scorned pride. And underneath her hard pride lies a desire for murder and mayhem. Vanifer harbors a fierce hatred for all who think themselves superior to her, and she stops at nothing to make them see her as a figure to be feared and respected. Vanifer was born and raised in the crushing poverty of Calimport’s poorest quarters, armed with only her cunning intelligence. In her youth, she learned to dance for coin and slowly worked her way up from the wine sinks of the laborers’ districts to the elegant chambers of the city’s nobles. She mastered minor fire magic to distinguish herself from other dancers and incorporated flame into her routine. Her talents grew, and soon she caught the eye of a pasha and became his concubine. But even as she enjoyed the gifts he lavished on her, Vanifer hated the pasha for seeing her as a mere trophy. She left before long, robbing the pasha of a small fortune in jewelry and setting fire to his palace. Vanifer fled to Zazesspur, but her former master’s agents soon found her. She fled again to Baldur’s Gate, taking up residence in the poor neighborhood known as Little Calimshan. There she opened a school of dance and discovered that her gift for fire attracted other sorts of students. She became the leader of a cult of fire worshipers. There she remained until a few months ago, when dreams and visions impelled her to seek out a lost dungeon in the North. On the altar of a forgotten temple she found the dagger Tinderstrike, imbued with the power of Imix, the Prince of Evil Fire. Armed with this powerful weapon, Vanifer resolved to establish a new chapter of her cult beneath the Sumber Hills. Traits. Vanifer is an extraordinary manipulator. She collects allies and followers with her wiles, using them as she needs and discarding them the moment they lose their usefulness. It’s a testament to her natural talent that many of her victims are pathetically eager to bask in the glow of her attention again if she discovers she needs something else from them. While Vanifer puts on the airs of a rich noble, she despises those raised with great wealth, and her sensibilities favor the coarse. Vanifer is ambitious above all else, and as undisputed master of the fire cult, she intends to make the Eternal Flame the strongest and most feared cult of all. Enemies and A llies Eternal Flame cultists detest the followers of the Crushing Wave. They see the water cultists as slippery and untrustworthy, perhaps even cowardly—after all, the Crushing Wave retreats quickly from opposition and seeks the path of least resistance before committing its strength. The earth cultists are stolid and courageous, but maddeningly slow to act. The cultists of the Howling Hatred share the fire cult’s impulse to act swiftly and show many of the same qualities of inventiveness and creativity in the service of Elemental Evil. C u lt of th e H ow ling H a tre d The followers of elemental air call themselves the Cult of the Howling Hatred. They worship the destructive power of wind and storms, believing that those who venerate elemental air gain the power to punish those who have wronged them. More so than the members of the other cults, air cultists see their beliefs as a means to an end. Destruction for its own sake isn’t particularly interesting, but destruction as an expression of personal freedom or to earn things wrongfully denied? That’s a different story. The Cult of the Howling Hatred appeals to those who deal in perceptions over facts: illusionists, spies, and assassins, for example. Predatory or fierce winged creatures of any kind, even non-sentient monsters that would otherwise resist training, perceive the air cultists as allies and cooperate with them. Hippogriffs, griffons, and giant vultures are frequently used as air cult steeds. The Sign of the Howling Hatred. The symbol of elemental air is an inverted triangle with three branching lines above it. Some believe it stands for the funnel cloud of a tornado, while others see it as the superiority of winged creatures over the ground. Some maintain it is an ancient rune that stands for the elemental lord Yan-C-Bin. Whatever their interpretations, the air cultists use the symbol as a secret password of sorts. By touching the thumbs and little fingers together and closing the rest of the fingers into a fist, an air cultist forms an inverted triangle that is a mark of membership in the cult. Tactics and Philosophy Howling Hatred cultists are clever, impulsive, and creative. They usually see themselves as smarter, quicker, and more capable than others they meet. Howling Hatred cultists dislike open battle. They prefer to work in secret, using stealth and illusion to gain their ends with a minimum of force. Tactics of deception and ambush provide the air cultists with opportunities to prove themselves smarter and more resourceful than their opponents. The wind doesn’t blow down a castle, but flows around and through it. Infiltration and indirect attack are clearly superior tactics. Air cultists seek out high places for their strongholds wherever possible, although they value subterranean spaces with wide chasms or lofty vaults. Places where flying is possible are mandatory. The followers of the Howling Hatred understand that sometimes they must put secrecy above other considerations. Prophet of Air The moon elf Aerisi Kalinoth leads the Cult of the Howling Hatred. Tall and slender, with illusory wings that gently fan the air, Aerisi speaks to her people in a whisper that sounds clearly in the ears of all in her presence. Aerisi regards her followers not as cultists, but as her noble subjects. Before them she is prophet and queen. Musicians and courtiers amuse and flatter her, and warriors mounted on hippogriffs serve as her knights.
Aerisi grew up in an enchanted castle in a remote part of Faerie, surrounded by tales, histories, and tomes of magic. She passed her early years playing games, practicing enchantments, and imagining herself as one of the avariel (winged elves) from her storybooks. Her parents sheltered her from the conflicts of Faerun, and she came of age with a tender and fragile disposition. Eventually her parents decided it was time for their daughter to engage in elven society, and they brought her to the hidden city of Evereska. Her parents then realized their grave mistake. In pampering and sheltering their daughter, they had raised not a young lady but a spoiled child. Accustomed to having all she desired, the princess erupted into tantrums whenever she was denied her slightest whim, and the moon elves of Evereska could hardly endure her. Aerisi felt powerless among the moon elves. Although she had become a skilled enchanter in Faerie, her people were resistant to such charms. In her dreams she began to envision herself as one of the winged elves from her storybooks. She wished to control the wind and go wherever she liked, and to punish those who offended her. The childlike fantasies of her youth became dark visions where she ruled the storms and the air itself. She dreamed of an old mystic with brown skin and white hair, who promised to teach her all she desired to know—a vision of Yan-C-Bin, the Prince of Evil Air. Aerisi turned her study to elemental air, learning the secret of flight and escaping Evereska to follow the deluded visions of her dreams. Aerisi’s visions led her to a strange altar in a cavern beneath the Sumber Hills, where she acquired the spear Windvane. Driven by Yan-C-Bin, she dubbed herself a queen and set out to find followers to rule. Her enchantments helped fill the ranks of the Cult of the Howling Hatred with initiates hopelessly devoted to her. Traits. No one can deny Aerisi’s grace, but she also possesses a violent temper that reveals itself whenever she is denied what she wants. Aerisi is prone to flights of fancy and impulsive decadence. She doesn’t see herself as evil because she lacks the capacity to empathize with anyone else. Those who worship and please her are good, and those who defy her are wicked and must be punished. Her wish to lash the world with storms and destruction is, at its root, a temper tantrum against the elven society that dared to impose its strictures on her. Enemies and Allies The cultists of the Howling Hatred find the Black Earth cultists to be coarse, rude, unimaginative, and stubborn to the point of stupidity. Most offensively, the earth cultists are bluntly unimpressed by the Howling Hatred cult and its achievements. Followers of the Crushing Wave are more flexible and inventive, but they are crass mercenaries and likewise too pragmatic to appreciate the finer points of the air cult’s philosophy. The Eternal Flame is the best of the lot, since the fire cultists share the decisiveness and creative energy of the Howling Hatred cult, even if they are overly proud and aggressive. R u n n in g t h e A d v e n tu r e When you prepare to DM this adventure, several tools are at your disposal for a strong start and smooth play. A dventure H ooks This adventure is designed for 3rd-level characters, but see the “Starting the Adventure” section for more options. When the players create characters, encourage each of them to choose adventure-specific hooks from the list below and align with a faction (see “Factions” below). Doing so ties the characters more to the fight against Elemental Evil. The following descriptions detail motivations associated with specific parts of the adventure. Fulfilling the goal specified by an adventure hook earns the character inspiration, as described in the hook’s entry. Best Served Cold The character must find and defeat Windharrow, the minstrel who attends Aerisi Kalinoth. Windharrow can initially be found in area A4 of the Temple of Howling Hatred. Most members of the air cult know that he stays near Aerisi. The character earns inspiration for reaching the air temple and again for defeating Windharrow. Dangerous Information It’s a race against time—the character overheard cruel bandits planning a raid and intends to stop them. The bandits report to someone named Grimjaw in a place called Rivergard Keep. The character earns inspiration for defeating the villains in the “Reaver Ambush” encounter in chapter 3 and again for defeating Jolliver Grimjaw. Dangerous Secret The character has been assigned to infiltrate the mysterious druids of the Circle of the Scarlet Moon and discover their true plans. The circle supposedly knows ritual magic unknown to other druids. The character earns inspiration for discovering the truth behind the Rite of the Wicker Giant and again for finding the fire gate in the Weeping Colossus.
Dark Omens The signs and portents are clear: nature is out of balance. Terrible disaster is drawing closer with every passing day. To restore the balance of nature, the character must destroy the four elemental nodes. The character earns inspiration for each portal the party closes. Defeat th e Skyriders Vicious raiders mounted on hippogriffs have laid waste to several small hamlets and merchant caravans, and the character has sworn to stop them. Clearing the Howling Hatred cultists out of Feathergale Spire earns the character inspiration, as does obtaining a flying mount. Feathergale Rebel The character has been sent to retrieve a Waterdhavian noblewoman. Savra Belabranta is currently guarding the front gate of Feathergale Spire. The character earns inspiration by persuading her to abandon the cult and return home, as well as for clearing the spire of air cultists. The Fugitive The character is on the trail of a ruthless murderer, Bastian Thermandar. Bastian is an important member of the fire cult and can be found in the Temple of Eternal Flame. The character earns inspiration for reaching the fire temple and again for defeating or killing Bastian. Hired Hand Homesteaders who were kind to itinerant workers are now missing. The character sets out to have revenge and to rescue any survivors. Defeating the kenku in area A2 of the Temple of Howling Hatred earns the character inspiration, as does rescuing Bero Gladham in area A12 of the air temple or Nerise Gladham in area N17 of the Howling Caves. Madman a t Haunted Keep The character knows that unsavory sorts have occupied Rivergard Keep, and that there’s a secret way into the castle. Using the secret entrance earns inspiration, as does clearing the Crushing Wave cultists out of Rivergard Keep. The Mud Sorcerer Months ago, the character was robbed by a genasi who killed several innocent bystanders. Now it’s time to find Miraj Vizann and make him pay. Vizann can normally be found in area B8 of the Temple of Black Earth. The character earns inspiration for reaching the temple and again for defeating Miraj. Ominous Dream The character has seen the earth prophet, Marlos Urnrayle, in dreams and knows that Marlos is a dangerous villain who must be stopped. The character earns inspiration for gaining access to the earth temple and again for defeating Marlos.
Recover Your Sword Thugs associated with the water cult broke into the workshop where the character apprenticed, murdered the master smith, and stole the beautiful sword she’d made. The character earns inspiration for defeating Jolliver Grimjaw and again for recovering the sword in area C14 of the Temple of the Crushing Wave. Rescue Your People Raiders from the fire cult have abducted people the character feels responsible for protecting. They must be rescued at any cost. The captives are held in area E11 of the Temple of Eternal Flame. The character earns inspiration for reaching the temple and again for getting the captives to safety. Seeking Revenge Fire cultists torched the character’s home or razed a defenseless village. The character is sworn to stop them. The character earns inspiration for defeating Lyzzie Calderos in area E29 of the Temple of Eternal Flame and again for defeating Vanifer. S ettle a Score Marauders in stony armor robbed the character’s friends or family and left the character for dead. Now it’s time to even the score. The character earns inspiration for defeating the Black Earth cultists in area M9 of the Sacred Stone Monastery and again for defeating Hedorm in area B14 of the Temple of Black Earth. Shatterkeel’s T rail Months ago, Gar Shatterkeel destroyed the character’s ship by conjuring a powerful storm. Dozens of sailors died, and now the character intends revenge. The character earns inspiration for reaching the water temple and again for defeating Gar. Standing Offer Months ago, the character served as a guide for a band of mysterious pilgrims who set out to reoccupy the Sacred Stone Monastery. The character’s mission is to infiltrate the group and discover their intentions. The character earns inspiration for successfully joining the earth cult at the monastery and again for surviving an encounter with Renwick, the lich in area M16 of the monastery. Strange Map An ancient map has come into the character’s possession, showing the location of a forgotten dwarf stronghold beneath the Sumber Hills. The character earns inspiration each time he or she discovers one of the four temples in ancient Tyar-Besil. Suspicious Fellow The character becomes suspicious of Thurl Merosska, a knight of the Feathergale Society, and decides to investigate. Thurl is normally found in Feathergale Spire. The character earns inspiration for defeating Thurl and again for discovering the Temple of Howling Hatred. Undercover The character is tasked to break up a smuggling and piracy ring on the Dessarin River headquartered at Rivergard Keep. The character earns inspiration for successfully joining the water cult at Rivergard Keep and again for capturing or killing Shoalar Quanderil. Walked Away The character was briefly recruited by the fire cultists but never took up arms with them. Now the character wants to stop the villains before they give all mercenaries a bad name. The character earns inspiration for clearing out Scarlet Moon Hall and again for reaching the Temple of Eternal Flame. Factions Factions are like political parties, religious organizations, or secret societies. Players can choose a connection to one of five factions: the Harpers, the Order of the Gauntlet, the Emerald Enclave, the Lords’ Alliance, and the Zhentarim. All five factions have their own reasons for opposing the spread of Elemental Evil. However, none fully comprehend the gravity of the threat at the adventure’s start. You can make the characters’ connections to their factions as complex as you like. The Harpers and the Emerald Enclave operate on personal relationships, so the characters might have met their contacts before
the adventure starts. The Lords’ Alliance and the Zhentarim, on the other hand, have an elaborate system of pass phrases and secret signs that identify their agents to one another. The first visit to Red Larch is a good time to establish these protocols and give each character some face time with a faction contact. (See the “Important Red Larchers” section of “Red Larch” in chapter 2.) Such contacts can’t promise the characters specific resources or reinforcements, but they’re friendly faces who know the lay of the land and can offer guidance. They can pass messages to higher-ups; however, any reply is slow in coming. As the characters further explore the Dessarin Valley, they meet other NPCs affiliated with various factions. The factions also become more helpful as they start to recognize the cults are a dangerous, destructive force. The Harpers A scattered network of spellcasters and spies, the Harpers advocate equality and covertly oppose the abuse of power, magical or otherwise. Agents operate in secret and emphasize stealth and subtlety, or at the very least discretion. Bards and wizards are their most prominent members. Harpers operate in small cells throughout the North. One is based in Triboar: Darathra Shendrel, the Lord Protector, belongs to the faction, and Harper agents can find welcome at the Home of the Boars. Another cell in the prosperous trade center of Yartar monitors traffic in the Dessarin Valley and the actions and policies of the city’s Waterbaron. The Harpers work to maintain the balance of power between the various groups competing to influence the city. In the Sumber Hills, the Harpers warn travelers and adventurers to stay clear of Rundreth Manor and the Dark Lady who dwells there. Harpers also watch the ruined Halls of the Hunting Axe. The Order of the G auntlet This faction is primarily a military organization made up of paladins, clerics, and monks. Members of the order are faithful and vigilant seekers of justice who protect others from the depredations of evildoers. They exact swift retribution against those who violate the law. Atop a high crest in the Sumber Hills stands Summit Hall, home to the Knights of Samular. This venerable order of paladins of Tyr strives to promote justice in the savage North. The Order of the Gauntlet hopes to expand its influence in the region by joining the Knights to its cause. In the western Sumber Hills, the order has little political influence. It hopes to correct this weakness by establishing alliances with local leaders who share its goals, such as the Waterbaron of Yartar. The order is even pursuing negotiations with fringe organizations. The Emerald Enclave This widespread group of wilderness survivalists preserves the natural order while rooting out unnatural threats. Many of the Enclave’s members are barbarians, druids, and rangers. Some wander the untamed lands while others make their homes on the outskirts of towns and villages, where they help to protect travelers from the dangers of the wild. The enclave’s greatest stronghold in the region is the fortified farm and abbey to Chauntea called Goldenfields. Abbot Ellardin Darovik is a senior agent of the Emerald Enclave. In the High Forest to the east lies Shadowtop Cathedral, another of the enclave’s meeting places. The Lords’ A lliance The Lords’ Alliance is a shaky compact of aggressive political powers concerned with mutual security and prosperity. Fighters and sorcerers are prevalent among alliance agents, and they are often glory hounds seeking personal recognition. Most agents are lawful or neutral; in the courtly circles of the lords, those who don’t follow the rules seldom last long.
Trade along rivers and roads links the cities of the Lords’ Alliance, so its operatives eliminate threats to that trade as soon as they appear. Located at the confluence of the Dessarin and Surbrin rivers, Yartar is a prosperous center of commerce. Various groups vie to control its wealth and influence its trade. The Waterbaron of Yartar, Nestra Ruthiol, is a member of the Lords’ Alliance, and her decisions affect the politics of not only her city but the other cities of the region. The Zhentarim This shadow network seeks to expand its influence and power base throughout Faerun. Its members coerce, persuade, or buy their way into every major area of influence. Rogues and warlocks fill the Zhentarim’s ranks, but the faction recruits any who can conduct its business without too many moral reservations. Zhentarim operatives might be found in any settlement, but in the North the organization is based in the Bargewright Inn. Zhentarim mercenaries and spies meet within its many private chambers. The Black Network disguises its ownership of the inn to avoid unwanted attention. The organization also has a vested interest in maintaining the prosperity of Yartar. Minor Factions A number of minor factions also seek influence in the Dessarin Valley: the elves of the High Forest, the Hand of Yartar, the Knights of Samular, and the Uthgardt tribes. Elves of the High Forest. The High Forest once sheltered three great elven realms beneath its boughs. Many tribes of wood elves—and a few moon elves—still protect the ruined monuments to their golden age. Few beyond the borders of the High Forest know much about these elves; they have no single leader and make little contact with the outside world. The wood elf Morgwais, known as the Red Lady or the Lady of the Wood, seeks to unite the disparate tribes through the Caerilcarn (“Council of the Wood”). Her aim is to resurrect the ancient kingdom of Eaerlann, and she has made steps in that direction by allying various elven settlements. As yet, though, only a few elves believe in her vision, and they are spread far apart over the eastern reaches of the forest. The Emerald Enclave is friendly to the elves of the High Forest. However, Morgwais has a troubled history with Turlang, a treant leader of the enclave in Shadowtop Cathedral. The Hand of Yartar. The famous chronicler Volo once said that everyone in Yartar is after money or power—preferably both—in as short a time as possible. The Harpers, the Lords’ Alliance, and the Zhentarim compete within the city. The local thieves’ guild, the Hand of Yartar, vies for a larger piece of the action, but infighting has kept the guild from having much influence. Within the guild, a new and deadly group is flourishing, comprising ambitious young female thieves and assassins. They are masters of disguise and infiltration, impersonating officials and commoners alike in order to steal, bribe, and murder. The Hand of Yartar might work with the Zhentarim when it’s convenient for both parties. The Knights of Samular. This order of paladins dedicated to Tyr has pursued justice across the North for over five hundred years (see chapter 3 for more information). Its founder, Samular Caradoon, built Summit Hall in the Sumber Hills as a training monastery for the order. Young men and women across the North travel to Summit Hall so that they might learn from its aging heroes. The Lady of the Hall, Ushien Stormbanner, is sympathetic to the Order of the Gauntlet. Uthgardt Tribes. For over a thousand years, the barbarian humans of the Uthgardt tribes have roved the North, holding to ancient customs of ritual and
U sing M o n ster R eferences taboo. They are notorious for their hatred of magic, disavowal of any gods but their own, and hostility to anyone not of their tribes. Most in the North consider Uthgardt to be little better than orcs. Two tribes are the most troublesome to folk of the Dessarin Valley: the Tree Ghosts and the Elk. See chapter 2 for more about the Uthgardt. Throughout the adventure, each encounter presents monster names in bold. This is a visual cue pointing you to look up the monster’s stat block. If a monster comes from chapter 7, you should find a parenthetical note telling you to look there. Finding no such note, you should head for the Monster Manual. S ta rtin g th e A d v e n tu re If the characters are 1st level, use the adventures at the start of chapter 6 to get them to 3rd level, at which point they’re ready for the main adventure (which begins with “The Missing Delegation” in chapter 3). You can also skip the introductory adventures in chapter 6 and begin playing the main adventure with 3rd-level characters. If you previously ran Lost Mine of Phandelver (the adventure in the D&D Starter Set), players can use characters from that adventure in Princes of the Apocalypse. In this case, the characters are likely to be 5th level, a fact you need to account for when considering encounter difficulty in the adventure. Such characters also have no existing motivation to pursue the cults of Elemental Evil. As experienced adventurers, though, they might find the mystery of the Mirabar delegation to be all the incentive they need. Ideas for relocating the party to Red Larch include the following: • Gundren Rockseeker asks the characters to escort a wagonload of valuable ore from the newly reopened Wave Echo Mine to Bethendur’s Storage in Red Larch, where it should be picked up by a caravan bound for Secomber. The dwarf has heard that the market for platinum ingots is quite good in more easterly lands and anticipates a tidy profit. • After receiving a vision, Sister Garaele of the Shrine of Luck decides to become intendant at the Allfaiths Shrine in Red Larch. She asks the characters (especially any prospective Harper) to accompany her and make sure she reaches the shrine safely. • Halia Thornton hears rumors about an important delegation that has gone missing somewhere in the Dessarin Valley. She asks a Zhentarim character to investigate the situation on behalf of the Black Network. The story came to her from a trapper who’d heard it in Red Larch, so she suggests that the character should begin there. The journey from Phandalin to Triboar is about 225 miles eastward along the Triboar Trail. Another 200 miles south along the Long Road takes characters from Triboar to Red Larch. Preparing fo r P lay Players feel more immersed in the setting when their characters’ backgrounds, bonds, and faction choices come to life at the table. Once your players make their characters, make a list of key story elements that you can refer to throughout the course of the adventure. Include locations and NPCs important to each character’s faction and background. As the characters become more involved in aspects of the adventure, keep this list up to date. U sin g th e Side T re k s In addition to the core narrative, Princes of the Apocalypse presents a number of short adventures as side treks. Side treks provide players with a change of pace. You need not run side treks in order or at all. Let the natural course of the campaign and the players’ interests dictate when or if a side trek becomes available. You can find the side treks in chapter 6.
C h a p t e r 2 : T h e D e s s a r in V a l l e y If the Dessarin Valley isn’t quite as wild and lawless as it once was, it’s still lightly settled territory that serves as a route to distant lands. Residents in places such as Red Larch or Triboar boast that their humble settlements are “the Gateway to the North.” Through these lands pass hundreds of caravans and keelboats each year, linking the great ports of Waterdeep and Neverwinter with places such as Everlund, Mirabar, or Silverymoon. The steady caravan traffic breathes life into the towns of this area, supporting businesses in the settlements along the Long Road. Inns cater to travelers anxious to sleep safely within sturdy walls and enjoy good food by a warm fire instead of camping by the side of the road. T he rise of Elemental Evil in Faerun begins in the Dessarin Valley, a lightly settled region of caravan towns, isolated homesteads, and uninhabited wilderness just a week’s journey from Waterdeep. Nothing of note to the wider world has happened here for hundreds of years. The frontier long ago receded farther northward, leaving behind a quiet backwater littered with ruins. These days, the Dessarin Valley has little in common with the popular conception of the Savage Frontier. Winters are hard here, but the hordes of orcs and other hungry monsters are a long way off from these parts.
In addition to catering to caravans and travelers heading to or from the far North, the Dessarin Valley is a breadbasket for the hungry populations of Waterdeep and Neverwinter. The farms and pastures of the area produce grain, livestock, poultry, apples, and hops, then ship them downriver (or drive them down the Long Road) to the coast. Few people become rich from farming, but farmers in the region do well for themselves provided the weather cooperates. (That’s one reason why the unusual weather lately has been a concern.) H is to ry Most people who live in the Dessarin Valley have no idea of its long history. Old-timers nodding sagely by the hearths of the local taprooms sometimes observe, “These lands, they have old bones.” Most locals have no idea of how right they are. While some truly ancient ruins in this area go back to the days of the first great elf kingdoms, none of these figure into the story of this adventure. The earliest realm that does is the shield dwarf kingdom of Besilmer, which was founded nearly six thousand years ago in -4420 DR. Its existence is so far back in the mists of history that only a handful of non-dwarf sages have even heard of it. Most people of the Dessarin Valley don’t know Besilmer at all, but they are familiar with two of its works: the engineering marvel known as the Stone Bridge (described later in this chapter) and the crumbling ruins known as the Halls of the Hunting Axe. The realm of Besilmer was something rare: a dwarven kingdom built on the surface, with its strength measured in fields and pastures. It prospered for a time but was plagued by trolls and giants. The dwarves were obliged to build a stronghold underground, carving out the fortress-city of Tyar-Besil a century after Besilmer’s founding. Unfortunately for the dwarves, the realm collapsed after its king and founder died in battle. Most of the surviving dwarves sought safer lands. The dwarven city beneath the Sumber Hills was abandoned by -4160 DR and then forgotten. Tyar-Besil slumbered in darkness for many long centuries, occasionally discovered and occupied by monsters or ambitious miners, only to be abandoned again. It came to light again in 893 DR, when a group of adventurers who called themselves the Knights of the Silver Horn discovered the ruins. Over the next six years they returned again and again, eventually founding strongholds of their own to safeguard the hidden entrances to the sprawling dungeon. Time in the Realms The people of the Forgotten Realms number the years by the Dalereckoning calendar, which is abbreviated “DR.” Years are also given names, which are drawn from the writings of a great seer from long ago. The adventure is set in 1491 DR, the Year of the Scarlet Witch. Each month consists of three ten-day long weeks called tendays. People refer to tendays the way people in other worlds refer to weeks. The knights had some success in clearing small domains in the wild Sumber Hills, but only a few years later the powerful orc realm of Uruth Ukrypt arose nearby, and the Dessarin Valley became a battlefield. Trouble followed on trouble: the Orcfastings War, the First and Second Trollwars, and finally a series of vicious drow raids. By the year 942 DR, human settlements in the Dessarin Valley had been all but wiped out, and the Knights of the Silver Horn were no more. Their strongholds crumbled into ruin and became known in later years as the Haunted Keeps. Eventually, no one remembered who built them or why. The current wave of settlement in and around the Dessarin Valley began after 1000 DR, coinciding with Waterdeep’s growth from a warlord’s stronghold into a major city. The first small outposts that would grow into places such as Red Larch and Triboar were carved out of a wild and untamed land. People resettling the Dessarin Valley found the remains of “kingdoms of old” scattered here and there throughout the area. C u r r e n t E v e n ts Minor issues are nothing unusual in the Dessarin Valley. Bands of savage humanoids from the Sword Mountains or the Evermoors occasionally raid here. Human barbarians known as the Uthgardt roam these lands, and the more aggressive tribes can be very dangerous. Bandits sometimes gather in the lonelier parts of the vale to waylay caravans traveling the Long Road or the Kheldell Path. Every now and then reckless or unlucky adventurers manage to stir up some ancient curse in the ruins scattered around the area. Constables of valley settlements are usually up to the task of restoring the peace. Six months ago, an insidious new threat began to grow in the area, unsuspected by the locals or any passing adventurers. Dreams and visions drew four elemental prophets, one by one, to the Fane of the Eye beneath the Sumber Hills. Each prophet began to gather like-minded followers. Strangers trickled into the Dessarin Valley in ones or twos. Some were already cultists of Elemental Evil, eager to build a place where they could openly practice their vile rites. Others were brutal thugs, power-hungry dabblers in forbidden magic, or fanatics lured by the call of evil. At first the cultists valued secrecy above all else, but as their numbers grew and they established their strongholds, they turned their attention to expanding their hold on the Dessarin Valley. The presence of so many malefactors has caused a spate of banditry, kidnappings, murders, and raids. The cultists have also upset the weather in the region. All of these occurrences continue to worsen over the course of the adventure until the characters locate and clean out the four elemental cults in the Temple of Elemental Evil. R ed L a rc h Red Larch has been an important stop on the Long Road for two centuries now. Named for a distinctive stand of red larch trees that were cut down when the hamlet was founded, Red Larch became a settlement in the first place thanks to a drinkable spring that fed
a sizable pond ideal for watering horses, oxen, and pack mules. An east-west trail meets the Long Road at the pond, running west to the logging community of Kheldell and east to Bargewright Inn and eventually Secomber. Another trail leads to quarries in the Sumber Hills and to ruins of stone keeps long ago left to monsters and outlaws (the Haunted Keeps). In recent years, new quarries have been opened on the northwestern edge of town. So far these have yielded up great slabs of marble much prized in Waterdeep for facing large new buildings and repairing older edifices. Red Larch is also a center for stonecutters quarrying slate on the fringes of the Sumber Hills. While Red Larch remains prosperous, dark omens are appearing. The heart of the Sumber Hills has become far more dangerous, with monsters lurking seemingly everywhere (no one goes into the hills berrypicking or hare-hunting these days, though Red Larcher children traditionally did so daily in summer and fall). Banditry is on the rise, and the weather seems to be getting more severe and more unpredictable. Several Red Larcher shepherds have seen strange figures watching them from distant hillsides in the wild fields east of town where they have traditionally grazed their flocks. Quarry workers used to cut by torchlight when orders were backing up but do so no longer, shunning the pits by night. They are spooked by rumors of dark-robed figures in stone masks lurking in the darkness beyond the torchlight. The townsfolk fear that dangerous times are at hand, but no one seems to know what to do about it. Im p o rta n t Red L a rch e rs The inhabitants of Red Larch have become so frightened by the recent “dark doings” that rather than showing typical frontier reticence, they helpfully babble about everything they’ve seen and heard. Most hope to convince adventurers to investigate and put an end to the current troubles. Important Red Larchers include the following NPCs: • Eldras Tantur is the local blacksmith (area 9). He’s an opinion setter in town. • Endrith Vallivoe is a merchant who sells all sorts of goods from his shop (area 22). He is a Harper contact. • Haeleeya Hanadroum is the owner of the bathhouse (area 15). She is an Emerald Enclave contact. • Helvur and Maegla Tarnlar are clothiers (area 7). Both are Lords’ Alliance contacts. • Harburk Tuthmarillar is the Constable of Red Larch, a stern, honest guard commander and judge. He lives and works in area 11. • Imdarr Relvaunder is a priest of Tempus in the Allfaiths Shrine (area 1). He is a contact for the Order of the Gauntlet. • Kaylessa Irkell is the proprietor of the Swinging Sword inn (area 2). She hears much from her fellow Red Larchers and shares it. • Mangobarl Lorren is the town’s baker (area 8). He is a Zhentarim contact. • Marlandro Gaelkur is an unsavory local barber (and counterfeiter) who runs a useful secondhand shop (area 17) where Red Larchers gather to gossip. T he B eliev ers A dozen of the Red Larch town elders have a secret: They belong to a secret society that calls itself “the Believers.” It isn’t quite a cult, although it has special ceremonies and rites passed down for generations. It isn’t quite a civic organization, despite the fact that some of the wealthiest and most powerful people in Red Larch are members. The members of the Believers use their secret association to guide town affairs, plot against business competitors, and sometimes take care of people who cause problems when it becomes clear that “something must be done” for the good of the town. The Believers formed years ago when local miners discovered a secret underground chamber beneath the town. Strange things happened in the chamber, such as heavy stones levitating and moving about when no one was around (this is described in chapter 6, in the “Tomb of Moving Stones” adventure). The miners began using the chamber to honor those who died in quarry accidents and to appease Beshaba, goddess of misfortune and accidents. The Believers gather secretly at the tomb once every nine nights to see if any stones have moved—and if any have, they covertly meet the next night to discuss what the movements mean, and what is to be done. They keep the tomb and its strange secret to themselves. The Believers have no knowledge of Elemental Evil. However, the Cult of the Black Earth discovered their secret and became interested. A Black Earth priest named Larrakh came to Red Larch to steer the group toward the worship of elemental earth. The cultists intend to take over Red Larch through the Believers, but there are other, more important tasks beneath the Sumber Hills that are keeping them busy. The time is not yet right. A d v e n tu re in R ed L a rc h Red Larch serves as the starting point for two different adventure narratives in this book. The clues and rumors provided by the NPCs in Red Larch depend on which phase of the adventure you are currently running. If you prefer to start the adventurers at 3rd level and dive into the Elemental Evil plot immediately, begin with the “Rumors of Evil” clues. If you wish to start the adventurers at 1st level, begin with the “Trouble in Red Larch” rumors. When the party finishes the “Trouble in Red Larch” adventures, they reach 3rd level, and they’re ready to move on to the “Rumors of Evil” clues and events. Trouble in Red L arch When the characters arrive in Red Larch, a few minutes of conversation with any NPC reveals that the townsfolk are concerned about strange events. Asking around about what’s going on in town or points the party toward the following NPCs:
• Outlaws are lurking out on the Cairn Road, but Constable Harburk (area 11) hasn’t found anything. • Minthra Mhandyvver’s granddaughter Pell (area 13) saw a ghost by an old tomb not far from town. • The Tarnlar children (area 7) are telling wild tales about plague out by Lance Rock. • Kaylessa Irkell, the owner of the Swinging Sword Inn (area 2), thinks the town’s troubles might have a common source. • Quarry workers at Mellikho Stoneworks (area 18) say that mysterious figures wearing stone masks watch them when they work at night. The workers now refuse to stay in the quarry after dark. • Workers at Waelvur’s Wagonworks (area 16) have been talking about suspicious activity around the workshop. They can be found drinking in the Helm at Highsun (area 3) most evenings. Speaking with the NPCs involved in these rumors provides the characters with several leads to adventure opportunities in Red Larch. These adventures are presented in chapter 6. “Into the Wilderness” describes several encounters located near town. “Lance Rock” describes an adventure site near the distinctive landmark a few miles outside of town; an insane necromancer who styles himself a “lord” has taken up residence there. Finally, “The Tomb of Moving Stones” presents an old dungeon-like mine chamber underlying part of Red Larch. This is the secret guarded by the Believers, although it has also attracted the attention of the Cult of the Black Earth. The Sinkhole. If the adventurers find their way to the Tomb of Moving Stones on their own, allow them to explore the site whenever they find it. If the adventurers don’t find the tomb or explore other sites nearby first, the tomb’s secret is revealed by the appearance of a large sinkhole in town. The sinkhole opens up shortly after the characters return to Red Larch from Lance Rock or other explorations in the area; see the adventure in chapter 6 for more details. E lem en tal C u lt Spies The spies for the elemental cults in Red Larch (Justran Daehl, Ghileeda, and Iraun Thelder) aren’t formidable combatants and are unwilling to fight adventurers. They pass information by slipping notes to or arranging brief conversations with cult messengers passing through town. Most of these messengers are human bandits from the local gangs of cult marauders, dressed in unmarked garments. If confronted, the cult spies deny involvement in any wrongdoing and try to bluff their way out of trouble. A spy caught red-handed weeps and begs for mercy. Some might claim to have been under a spell, hoping to gain sympathy. Caught spies reveal only what’s necessary to save their own skins. R um ors o f E v il Red Larch is full of rumors about the missing delegation from Mirabar. It was a large, well-armed party, and the fact that it seems to have come to grief is quite newsworthy. When the characters sift through idle
speculation and gossip to find credible leads, they turn up the following possibilities: • Brother Eardon, a priest of Lathander staying in the Swinging Sword (area 2), says the Mirabarans passed through Beliard. • A caravan guard in the Helm at Highsun (area 3) says the Mirabarans passed through Beliard. • Endrith Vallivoe (area 22) recently came by a beautiful book in Dwarvish and has been showing it off. It looks old and important. • Larmon Greenboot, a shepherd, says he found strange new graves out in the Sumber Hills. He hangs around Gaelkur’s store (area 17). • When the characters return to Red Larch after leaving to investigate one of the other leads, they hear that Thorsk Thelorn, the wagonmaker (area 5), has had some strange new customers lately. To find out how these NPCs know what they know, the adventurers must question the key characters. These conversations should suggest several ways to begin the search for the delegation from Mirabar. Continue with the “Early Investigations” encounters in chapter 3 when the adventurers decide which lead to follow. Red L arch L o catio n s Here follow brief descriptions of important locations in town. Buildings shown on the map that don’t have a number and a description are houses, sheds, or outbuildings. They belong to farmers who till plots close to town, shepherds who keep herds in nearby pastures, and workers or servants employed by the larger businesses. Many of the locations in town feature information about the “Trouble in Red Larch” storyline (for lst-level characters) or the “Rumors of Evil” storyline (for characters ready to investigate the cult of Elemental Evil). Just ignore the leads and clues that aren’t relevant to the part of the adventure you’re running now. You can assume that the Believers decide to keep a low profile as long as adventurers are asking questions about the missing delegation from Mirabar, or that the delegation hasn’t arrived in the area yet if the adventurers begin with the local troubles. 1. A llf a ith s S h rin e On the west side of the Long Road, just south of the inn’s stable yard, stands what looks like a grand stone mansion. Two wide wooden doors painted with the symbols of many gods stand open day and night. Inside is a plain chapel with a stone altar. The Allfaiths Shrine is a wayside shrine used by many faiths and owned by none. Priests shuttle out from Waterdeep in pairs for month-long stays. Each pairing includes priests of two different faiths arranged by Waterdhavian temples. The most frequent combinations are Sune and Selune, Tymora and Lathander, and Tempus and Oghma. The visiting priests dwell in two simple stone rooms at the back of the temple. They bring their own vestments and holy items and take them away again when their duties end. Key NPCs. Right now, Imdarr Relvaunder (male Damaran human priest), a follower of Tempus, and Lymmura Auldarhk (female Tethyrian human acolyte), a devotee of Sune, are serving at the shrine. Imdarr is a stern man who is keenly interested in news and rumors and visitors. He’s also an ally of the Order of the Gauntlet, occasionally passing messages and sending reports on local events to the order. Lymmura is a sympathetic ear and guide to all. She has been coming to the shrine for decades, has officiated at the marriages of many couples, and is widely loved and trusted in Red Larch. 2. The Swinging Sword One door north of the Allfaiths Shrine stands the Swinging Sword. The inn is a three-story stone structure, crowned by a steep slate roof that bristles with many chimneys. A signboard juts out over the door, hanging from chains. It’s a ten-foot-long carved wooden scimitar emblazoned with the inn’s name in red paint on both sides. An inn yard with stables and outbuildings lies behind the building. The Swinging Sword is welcoming and luxurious by the area’s rustic standards. Each room boasts a hearth, warm draperies and tapestries, and running water (provided by rooftop cisterns). Now run by the Irkell family from Waterdeep, the inn has become a popular stopover for wayfarers in the Dessarin Valley. The topmost guest floor is given over to dormitories where travelers can “sleep cheap” in rooms shared with up to six guests, but the lower floors are divided into pleasant suites of guest rooms, each with its own garderobe. There’s also a dining room on the ground floor. The Sword has one recurring problem: kitchen fires. The one-story kitchen annex at the back of the inn, currently out of commission, was initially built with poorly drawing chimneys. Right now, cooking is rudimentary and done out in the yard, on grills flanking the bread ovens. The dining room is mainly used for drinking, with “the Helm” (the tavern across the road) currently providing the best meals in town travelers can easily buy. While the Helm at Highsun is the place to hear Red Larchers unwind, the Swinging Sword is the polite social hub and neutral meeting ground of Red Larch. Key NPCs. The proprietor of the Swinging Sword is Kaylessa Irkell (female Illuskan human commoner). She is the fortyish matriarch of her family and a pleasant, sturdy woman. She is increasingly worried about “what’s gathering in the dark” in Red Larch and brings up her concerns with any likely adventurers who stop by (see “Kaylessa’s Tale,” below). Kaylessa’s staff are uniformly attentive and good at their work. However, two have secret masters. Ghileeda (female Tethyrian human commoner), a maid, secretly reports to Justran Daehl at the Helm for the Cult of the Crushing Wave. The one-eyed stablemaster Iraun Thelder (male Tethyrian human guard), a onetime mercenary warrior, is a spy for the Cult of the Howling Hatred. Iraun is entirely passive; he just reports what his normal duties show him.
Kaylessa’s Tale. Kaylessa is friendly to any adventurer who seems likely to tarry in the vicinity, because she believes every monster that is slain makes Red Larch that much safer. If the characters don’t approach her, Kaylessa tells them of recent disturbances near Red Larch. She’s heard many tales about fogs that persist in the Sumber Hills even in bright sunlight, and sudden gusts of hot wind sweeping west out of the hills where breezes have always been cold. There have been more violent sights, too, such as sudden bolts of lightning stabbing up from the hills into a clear sky. “Fell magic,” Kaylessa terms it, though she admits this was an opinion shared with her, and she’s seen none of this herself. Kaylessa has also noticed some Red Larchers looking both frightened and furtive, and tersely turning aside innocent queries. If pressed, she names Mellikho the stonecutter (area 18) and Luruth the tanner (area 19). Rumors of Evil. Among the guests at the Swinging Sword is Brother Eardon (male half-elf acolyte), a follower of Lathander, god of the dawn. Brother Eardon roams across the small towns of the North, serving as a messenger and itinerant priest. He recently came from Beliard by way of Westbridge, and he can confirm that the delegation from Mirabar was in Beliard two tendays ago when he left. He is surprised by the fact that the dwarves have not turned up yet, since he thought they intended to stop in Red Larch soon. Trouble in Red Larch. Kaylessa has a theory about the source of Red Larch’s recent troubles: it’s all related to an evil presence at Lance Rock. She says neither the constable nor the town elders have helped her, so she offers the characters 50 gp to investigate Lance Rock and make sure no sinister forces are lurking there. (See “Lance Rock” in chapter 6.) 3. The Helm a t H ighsun Right across the Long Road from the Swinging Sword Inn stands a ramshackle two-story tavern. Rusty metal grills cover its small, dirty windows. The tavern’s name is very clearly printed in large, simple letters on both sides of a jutting wooden sign. Atop the sign is a rusting, oversized adornment: a warrior’s bucket helm with two eye slits (actually an upside-down washtub). Inside is a large, dimly lit, wood-paneled taproom. An open-tread wooden staircase climbs to the upper floor, which is just as dim and darkly paneled as the taproom. Across the back of the taproom is a long bar with three
copper candle-lanterns hanging over it, and a stair leading down to the cellars. The Helm at Highsun is where locals relax, gossip, flirt, tell jests and “war stories” of their working days, and get drunk. It’s not a place for refined dining. A dozen servers work shifts at the Helm; most nights, two cover the ground floor and one waits on guests on the upper floor. The staff at the Helm don’t gossip, but they direct anyone who questions them to other patrons they think might talk about a particular subject. A gift of a drink loosens most tongues. The Helm gets rowdy from time to time, but the staff is ready for ordinary drunken fisticuffs. Behind the bar are three stout and well-used cudgels, and an old cloak used as an improvised stretcher to lug drunks outside (and sometimes thrown over the heads of brawlers so they can be clubbed down). Key NPCs. The Helm is run by the jovial but grasping Garlen Harlathurl (male Tethyrian human commoner). He is a cynic bitter from failed Waterdhavian mercantile ventures, but he has turned out to be an attentive tavern-keeper. He has two partners: one has retired to Waterdeep, and the other is the cellarer of the Helm, the gruff and rotund Justran Daehl (male Tethyrian human bandit). Justran is secretly a spy for the Cult of the Crushing Wave. Rumors of Evil. One of the tavern denizens is a very drunk and argumentative caravan guard named Zomith (female half-ore guard). She recently quit a caravan that came from Beliard through Westbridge, arriving in Red Larch two days ago. The caravan continued south without Zomith, but she can confirm that she brawled with Mirabaran guards from the missing delegation about fifteen days ago. She couldn’t care less what happened to them, but she had nothing to do with their disappearance. Trouble in Red Larch. Stannor Thistlehair (male lightfoot halfling commoner) is a carpenter who works at Waelvur’s Wagonworks (area 16). Stannor is a sneaky and unpleasant fellow, but if bribed to talk (10 gp would do the job), he tells the characters that he’s seen his boss Ilmeth Waelvur disappear into a hidden tunnel in the back of the work yard. He’s also seen other people sneak in after dark and follow Ilmeth to wherever they go, although everyone else shows up hooded or masked. 4. M o th e r Y a la n th a ’s This three-story, dilapidated boarding house has many balconies and outside staircases. Inside, the place is a warren of narrow, creaky-floored passages that snake around small rooms made of flimsy partition walls. However, the atmosphere is cheerful, if generally noisy. Key NPCs. The boarding house is the home of its owner and proprietor, the rail-thin, pipe-smoking “Mother” Yalantha Dreen (female Tethyrian human commoner). Mother Yalantha lives in a cramped ground-floor room at the very back, and most of the other twenty rooms are occupied by transient laborers. However, there are usually four or five rooms that can provide an overflow for the inn if the need arises. All of the residents have seen (or claim to have seen, at any rate) “brigands” lurking around Red Larch at night, not to mention monsters ranging from snake headed rats to ghostly dragons that faded away when approached. (If you’re looking for NPCs to deliver more fanciful and outrageous rumors, the denizens of Mother Yalantha’s boarding house are perfect.) Trouble in Red Larch. Six of the guests staying here are watchers for the Cult of the Black Earth (equivalent to bandits). They are the stone-masked folk who have been watching over the quarry by night, and the so-called Bringers of Woe who appear in area T7 of the Tomb of Moving Stones (they rush down to the tunnels when they hear that adventurers have discovered the hidden chambers). They don’t admit any involvement and aren’t foolish enough to hide their masks at the boarding house. 5. T h e lo rn ’s Safe Jo u rn ey s Three huge sheds stand here in a triangle, surrounded by sturdy wooden wagons at all stages of assembly. The first is a workshop full of busy woodworkers, the second is a storage area for parts such as wheels and axles, and the third houses a dozen finished wagons for sale. The foremost wagonmaker in this region, Thelorn’s is now run by two grandsons of the founder. It is a busy, alwaysbustling place that works day and night (three shifts of workers) because making wagons of top quality takes time. The quality of Thelorn’s wagons is well known throughout the region, with the result that workers here have to toil flat-out to keep up Thelorn’s long-decreed “dozen spare wagons in stock, ready to go.” No one here is interested in gossiping during shift time. There is a no-nonsense, pride-in-craft atmosphere, and many of the workers are experts who can do topnotch work with astonishing speed. Watchful children armed with skillets to bang as alarms guard the sheds every moment of the clock. Key NPCs. The burly Thorsk Thelorn and the taller but thinner Asdan Thelorn (both male Illuskan human commoners) are the bosses here. They are fair, hard working men who pay well to keep good workers. Rumors of Evil. If the characters ask Thorsk about strange customers, the busy wagonmaker recalls an Amnian merchant heading north on the Long Road who stopped for a wagon repair. His goods were marked by a strange symbol, like a bowl. The Amnian merchant paid Thorsk well and talked about a big gathering of druids he was heading to, hoping to sell kegs of beer and various trinkets. Characters who question Thorsk can get directions to Scarlet Moon Hall (see chapter 3). 6. C h a n s y rl Fine H arn ess The pungent smell of tanned and oiled leather fills this crowded workshop, and the walls display leather saddles, reins, yokes, and harnesses for working beasts of all sizes. Stylish leather jackets, longcoats, caps, boots, leggings, bracers, belts, baldrics, and full leather armor are also in stock in all sizes. Owned by its founder’s granddaughter, who oversees a skilled staff of three full-timers and two part-timers, Chansyrl’s is considered the best Red Larch harnessmaker by caravan merchants. For some, it’s the reason
they come to Red Larch. Chansyrl’s is a steady supplier for many a settlement up and down the Long Road. Key NPCs. Phaendra Chansyrl (female Tethyrian human scout) wears carved and stamped leather armor of her own making as a sort of walking advertisem*nt. With the sharp knives, awls, and punches she wears in custom sheaths at her belt and strapped to her arms and legs, she looks like an adventurer. She has idle dreams of traveling the North and slaying dragons, but she is far more interested in building a mercantile empire and outgrowing Red Larch someday. Phaendra has heard many tales of brigands and monster sightings and mysterious stone-masked watchers by night, but she ignores them, attending to her work. She sharply advises others to do so, too. 7. H e lv u r T a r n la r , C lo th ie r Tarnlar’s is the only place to buy quality clothing for a hundred miles around. The square two-story building stands at the intersection of the Long Road and the Cairn Road. Its signboard is painted with the images of a well-dressed lord and lady, one on each side of the board. Ornate scrollwork iron bars protect the windows. The Tarnlars used to be wagonmakers, but due to competition, the family changed trades two generations ago. The Tarnlars reinvented themselves as vendors of sturdy but fashionable clothing to appeal to the merchants and travelers making use of the Long Road. After all, cloaks and boots wear out just like wagon wheels, and anyone trudging for tendays on the road in raw spring weather or bitter winter cold soon comes to value warm garments very highly indeed. The clothing, boots, and accessories are all fine, warm, and sturdy, even though few Red Larchers can afford to buy them for everyday wear. The Tarnlars live in a comfortable apartment above their garment shop. Key NPCs. Helvur Tarnlar (male Tethyrian human commoner) is a snob by the standards of Red Larch. He puts on airs of gentility, haughtily explaining to customers that “This is how aristocrats wear their boots in Neverwinter,” or “Hats such as this are all the rage in Silverymoon,” even though he has never been to those places. He refuses to speculate about local events, saying, “Tarnlars do not deal in gossip!” However, Helvur puts aside his pretentiousness and unwillingness to share information for any member of the Lords’ Alliance. He directs most inquiries to his wife Maegla. Maegla (female Tethyrian human commoner) is the true talent in the family. She is a sharp businesswoman who has an eye for good merchandise. She is also the mother of four bold and adventurous children. She also helps those who serve the interests of the Lords’ Alliance. Trouble in Red Larch. The Tarnlar children (two boys and two girls, aged seven to ten) are eager to befriend and follow adventurers as a possible escape from their everyday chores. A couple of tendays ago, the Tarnlar children were out berry-picking in the direction of Lance Rock when they met a grizzled dwarf prospector who warned them away from Lance Rock “because there’s plague there.” Maegla has no idea what they’re talking about, but the children can provide directions to the ravine the dwarf warned them about (see “Lance Rock” in chapter 6). 8. L o rre n ’s B akery This aromatic, tidy building’s ovens and mixing bowls are in use day and night. The bakery has a hanging sign consisting of a carved and painted wooden round loaf the size of a small cart. The bakery always has fresh round loaves and buns for sale. Its specialty is cheese-topped buns with melted mushroom cheese from outlying local farms. Key NPC. The thin, energetic proprietor, Mangobarl Lorren (male Chondathan human thug), thrives on gossip and can spin many wild tales. Few are true,
and none of the secrets are his own. He is a staunch, discreet ally of the Zhentarim and a useful source of no-questions-asked aid to anyone of that faction. Lorren doesn’t volunteer this information, but some of his distant relatives have Zhentarim connections, and he’s always willing to help the Black Network. Trouble in Red Larch. Mangobarl heard about Pell Mhandyvver’s scare at the Haunted Tomb (see the “Haunted Tomb” encounter in chapter 6) and went to look for himself. He saw a goblin near the spot, and figured that a gang of the creatures had moved in and rigged a “haunt” to scare off intruders. He tells any Zhentarim character that it might be worthwhile to talk to Minthra Mhandyvver (area 14)—treasure could be hidden in the tomb, and it shouldn’t be left to a band of goblins. 9. T a n tu r Sm ithy Both ends of this soot-stained building are massive stone blocks that rise into tall, wide chimneys. The din of forge hammers rings out late into most nights. Eldras Tantur (male Turami human thug) has been Red Larch’s blacksmith for a decade and a half and has taken only a handful of days off work in all that time. Eldras and his children—a strapping son and two strong daughters— are skilled smiths who can make almost anything that requires no specialized alloys or treatments. They can temper swords and reinforce armor, and they often repair tools and weapons. The Tanturs rarely emerge from their smithy. They work all day long every day filling endless orders for hasps, hinges, locks, and chains, plus hardware for wagons such as cotter pins, bolt rings, wheel rims, and wheel hubs. Key NPCs. Eldras is a plain-dealing sort who knows almost nothing of the current mood and troubles in Red Larch, since he’s so rarely away from his forge. His wife Laefra, who orders metals via the merchants she deals with, hears much of the troubles, but she tells Eldras and their children none of it. Life is better undarkened by such matters, she figures. 10. D ro u th Fine P o u ltry This largest of the two Red Larch poultry shops is everbustling thanks to thriving local farms and the endless appetite of communities along the Long Road. Two or three wagonloads of skewered capons in casks of oil depart this establishment daily, to be finished over faroff hearths. The one-story building is long, narrow, and nondescript on the outside, but the name of the business is painted above the double entry doors (wide enough for a wagon). Inside, feathers drift in the air. Cages and casks sit at the street end of the building, followed by two brick cooking-hearths, long and bloodstained cutting tables, and a plucking area in the back. The feathers are heaped in open handcarts that are taken away for washing and eventual sale as pillow stuffing. Key NPC. The proprietor and owner, Nahaeliya Drouth (female Tethyrian human commoner), has built up her business by becoming a trusted supplier to inns across the valley. She prefers not to know about “the dangers of the wilderlands” and “such nonsense as dark magic.” Nahaeliya inherited the business from her father, who was a respected town elder, but she hasn’t yet been approached for membership in the Believers. 11. Ja le ssa O rn ra , B u tc h e r Next door to Drouth’s Fine Poultry stand four identical single-story stone buildings, running back from the street in a line. The front building has a painted sign of a ham being carved by a cleaver, accompanied by no words. This is the workplace and shop of Jalessa Ornra (female Illuskan human commoner), Red Larch’s butcher. The second building is her smokehouse, joined to the shop by an underground cold-cellar where meats are stored. The third building often has wash hanging by clothesline outside, and is the home Jalessa shares with the town’s constable, Harburk Tuthmarillar (male Tethyrian human veteran). Red Larch doesn’t have a jail or court. The shop is the closest thing. Harburk employs four trusties, who bunk in the fourth building. The trusties are assistant constables (human guards) who also work for Jalessa as cutters and preservers, brining and salting meat, then sealing it into small kegs for shipment or storage. Harburk and his trusties discuss matters of law enforcement and peacekeeping while butchering. They’ve also been known to hang drunks by their belts from meat hooks to sober up. Key NPCs. Harburk and his trusties are some of the busiest people in Red Larch, because they work as butchers in addition to shifts keeping the peace in the town. Harburk is known for napping instead of taking a full night’s sleep. Harburk hasn’t quite figured out that he has four elemental cults on his doorstep. He knows there are evil and secretive groups in the Sumber Hills—the rumors can’t all be false—but he isn’t sure just what is out there. Adventurers who could go investigating where he dares not would be a godsend. Trouble in Red Larch. Harburk has heard tales of banditry on the Cairn Road south of town, and he knows of several potential hideouts. He doesn’t have the time to wander around the countryside on what he thinks is a wild goose chase, but he provides eager new adventurers with directions to one or two likely spots. See the “Bears and Bows” encounter in chapter 6. 12. D ornen F in esto n e This plain square building is always coated in a graywhite shroud of rock dust. It’s the business office of the busy Dornen quarry, run by Elak Dornen (male Tethyrian human noble). The office displays samples of cut stone as well as “raw” samples from the quarry. Records of orders and old employment rolls are neatly sorted in cabinets behind a wooden counter. Dornen is a hard master to some twenty workers, and he insists on keeping careful records. Key NPC. The Believers have no formal leader, but if they did, Dornen would be it. He is a longstanding member who serves as the deciding vote on questions about who to induct into the secret group and how to use their collective influence to arrange business in
Red Larch. He is a stern and inflexible man, and he enjoys the power he gains from bending other Believers to his side. Trouble in Red Larch. Dornan is an eager convert to the message of the Black Earth priest Larrakh. He sees a day coming soon when he and the other Believers openly take power. If bothered by nosy adventurers, Dornan tells them he’s heard stories of a lost treasure and mysterious villains lurking in Tricklerock Cave (see the “Bloody Treasure” encounter in chapter 6). 13. Iro n h e a d Arms Three years ago, an old sellsword and caravan guard by the name of Feng Ironhead decided to settle in Red Larch and open a shop dealing in arms and armor, both new and used. Over a long career of shepherding caravans and pack trains from one end of the North to the other, Ironhead (male half-ore veteran) decided that there was money to be made by keeping guards-for-hire and mercenaries supplied with decent, affordable gear. Key NPCs. Ironhead is a surprisingly genial half-ore. He has a little skill at weapon and armor repair and sometimes fixes up used gear for resale. His true talent is a keen eye for ordinary weapons and armor that can stand up to hard use and bad weather. Ask him which of his battleaxes is best, and Ironhead offers an honest (and accurate) answer. He isn’t a very good businessman and barely breaks even, but he doesn’t seem to care. 14. M h andyvyer’s P o u ltry This wooden building grew haphazardly for many years, shooting out single-story wings and annexes untidily in all directions. The interior looks like a barn or attic, with exposed beams and posts. Pens with live chickens fill most of the odd corners and halls of the building, leaving only a narrow aisle down to the back, where the Mhandyvvers live. Their rooms are separated from the chicken pens by a workroom with cutting benches and a central hearth. Mhandyvver’s is the less impressive of the two local poulterers, but is a favorite with Red Larchers. Kindly old Minthra “Minny” Mhandyvver (female Tethyrian human commoner) and her three grown children sell chickens live or roasted and preserved in oil, pickled chicken livers, and eggs both fresh and pickled. Key NPC. Minny has the demeanor of a kindly old dodderer, but she is sharper than she appears. Among other things, she knows that a group of town elders (including Elak Dornen, Ilmeth Waelvur, and Albaeri Mellikho) belong to a secret club and pull many strings in town. She thinks that the Believers are harmless, but shares what she knows if adventurers she comes to trust ask for her advice. Trouble in Red Larch. Recently, Minny’s adventurous young granddaughter Pell had a frightening encounter with a “ghost” near a long-forgotten tomb a short distance outside of town. Minny has ordered the girl to stay away, but she wonders what Pell saw, and she thinks that someone ought to “make sure it’s safe.” The directions Pell provides lead to the “Haunted Tomb” encounter in chapter 6. 15. H aeleeya’s Originally from Amn, Haeleeya Hanadroum (female human Tethyrian commoner) operates a bathhouse and dress shop in her large, well-appointed home. Half-barrels planted with aromatic herbs and flowers flank the entrance, and the windows are decorated with flower-filled window boxes. Inside is a tidy room that functions as a dressmaker’s shop and fitting room. Beyond two sets of doors are bathing chambers that emanate pleasant smells and warm dampness. Unlike Tarnlar’s down the street, Haeleeya’s caters to local women seeking dresses for special occasions; she makes few garments for men. The bathhouse is a steadier business, since many of the older women of Red Larch visit the baths regularly to trade gossip. Key NPC. Haeleeya hears all the gossip shared in the baths, but she keeps her own counsel, unless the inquirer is affiliated with the Emerald Enclave. When Haeleeya was young, she became lost in the wilderness. An Emerald Enclave ranger rescued her, and she’s been a friend to faction members ever since. 16. W aelvur’s W agonw orks Ilmeth Waelvur (male Tethyrian human bandit) operates a cheaper alternative to Thelorn’s Safe Journeys, making and selling replacement wheels and axles for wagons. The workshop is a cluttered, untidy shed surrounded by dozens of wagons shrouded in worn canvas tarpaulins. A crudely hand-lettered sign over the wide main door proclaims this to be “Waelvur’s Wagonworks.” Ilmeth spends most of his time repairing wagons and making heavy-duty wagons and sledges for the local quarries. Inside, half a dozen wagons stand in various stages of assembly, surrounded by stools, ladders, and benches. Wooden pillars support a loft that is an open latticework of boards, serving as home to some birds and storage for scores of wooden wagon wheels. Ilmeth employs half a dozen laborers who drink heavily as they work. Everything here is far messier but far cheaper than Thelorn’s. Key NPCs. Ilmeth is a hard-drinking, sullen man who cares nothing for the troubles of others. He is one of the Believers, and he hopes to use the group’s influence to run the Thelorns (his hated rivals) out of business. An old cellar door in the back of his cluttered work yard actually covers a tunnel leading to area T1 in the Tomb of Moving Stones (see chapter 6). Trouble in Red Larch. The halfling Stannor Thistlehair, one of the workers here, has spotted Ilmeth and the other Believers sneaking in and out when no one is supposed to be around, but Stannor is unwilling to say anything if questioned here for fear that Ilmeth might overhear him.
17. G a e lk u r’s This seedy wooden building serves as Red Larch’s used tools and goods shop, its barber, and an unofficial second tavern for locals. Inside is a cluttered shop full of lounging customers—most of them men in no particular hurry to be waited on—with old hair clippings trodden underfoot on the sagging board floor. Marlandro Gaelkur (male Tethyrian human commoner) is the shopkeeper and barber. In addition to providing grooming, he deals in used (and sometimes shady) items with no questions asked. Gaelkur’s true trade is unsuspected by other Red Larchers. He runs the shop as a front for his counterfeiting business. Gaelkur coats cheap coins (or simple iron plugs) in thin plating of more valuable metals, then marks them appropriately with stamps and dies of his own making. Key NPC. Marlandro is a skilled engraver and was once a jeweler’s assistant in Baldur’s Gate, making mountings for stones and entire rings. He counterfeits only when the shop is shut up and he’s alone, but most days and much of every night, Red Larchers drop by to talk. Lately every wild tale of odd and suspicious things that have been seen locally seems to come up for discussion. Rumors of Evil. Larmon Greenboot (male Tethyrian human commoner), a local shepherd, can be found at Gaelkur’s. He has been telling and retelling the story of finding mysterious freshly dug graves in the Sumber Hills (see “Rumors in Red Larch” in chapter 3). 18. M e llik h o S tonew orks A sign set on two posts in a scrap of weedy lawn out front of this small house reads “Mellikho Stoneworks.” The quarry pit begins just behind the house, which serves as the business office and the home of the quarry owner, Albaeri Mellikho (female Tethyrian human commoner). Mellikho herself oversees the work in the quarry, cajoling and cursing the sweating stonecutters here. A hidden tunnel in the quarry pit leads to area T9 in the Tomb of Moving Stones (see chapter 6). Mellikho and the other Believers know about the secret entrance in the quarry, but the stonecutters working here do not (it’s well disguised as a “collapsed” and abandoned storage tunnel). Key NPC. Albaeri, a pot-bellied and usually jovial whirlwind of a woman, is one of the Believers. She is worried about the moving stones in the hidden chambers below Red Larch being more active lately, but she is reluctant to share her concerns with strangers. Trouble in Red Larch. When orders for her stone are backed up, Mellikho usually has her stonecutters Crumblecake To the average citizen of Waterdeep, Red Larch is known only for crumblecake, a local specialty. This much-maligned but hearty food is useful on the trail: baked loaves of turkey and wildfowl scraps, nuts, and chopped roots and greens, mixed in a chickpea mash. It is bland at the best of times, but badly made crumblecake tastes terrible. work a night shift by torchlight. Over the last month or two, they’ve been scared off by mysterious dark-robed figures wearing stone masks, who watch them from the shadows. The masked watchers are actually members of the Black Earth cult who work as laborers in the town’s harness shops or warehouses; they are staying in Mother Yalantha’s boarding house. Mellikho is in on the plan to scare off her own stonecutters; the Believers use the quarry to meet with Larrakh, the Black Earth priest hiding out in the Tomb of Moving Stones. If the characters visit the quarry and begin asking questions, Albaeri Mellikho claims that rumors of strange watchers are overblown. She then suggests that if the characters are looking for something to test their mettle, there is a legendary treasure that is said to be hidden in Tricklerock Cave, and provides directions. (This leads to the “Bloody Treasure” encounter in chapter 6.) She knows the cave is dangerous and hopes that the characters get themselves killed there, putting an end to awkward questions, but tries to pass off her suggestion as a “helpful” rumor. 19. L u ru th ’s T an n ery This former warehouse reeks with an eye-watering, throat-closing stench that obliterates all other smells within a bowshot of the place. Inside are stretching racks, cutting tables with sharp knives and scraps of tanned hide, a back room of finished leather ready for sale, and six huge, open-topped vats containing various foul-smelling, caustic liquids used in tanning. The proprietor is Ulhro Luruth (male Chondathan human commoner). He can’t smell a thing, thanks to years of working in tanneries. He and his five loyal, terse assistants live and work here. Key NPC. Luruth is one of the Believers. He knows he’s not supposed to talk with outsiders about the secret society, but he’s not too bright and might assume that questioners know more than they do. 20. B e th e n d u r’s S to rag e Four identical, well-built warehouses stand here in ground covered in raked gravel and cinders. The moment anyone sets foot past the sign that says “Bethendur’s Storage/Rent Space by tenday, month, or year,” a tall, smiling man emerges to meet them. This is Aerego Bethendur (male Tethyrian human noble). He is assisted by three burly clerks and porters, who are former mercenary thugs. Aerego asks no questions, so anything can be stored here. Stored items that don’t move or burst out of their containers are left strictly alone, though crates that begin to smell of death are taken out back and opened. If they contain dead bodies (rare, but it happens), Aerego burns them without a word to the constable or anyone else. Key NPCs. Aerego is a Believer, although his attendance is spotty and he is beginning to wonder what exactly the mysterious priest Larrakh (see “The Tomb of Moving Stones” in chapter 6) has in mind for Red Larch.
21. The M a rk e t This muddy, well-used field is ringed with outhouses and rings of stones that have obviously been used as cook-fires or trash burn sites many times in the past. Once a tenday, it’s crowded with wagons from nearby farms. Farmers drive in from homesteads miles away to sell all manner of in-season produce, cheese, cider and cider vinegar, and last year’s pickled beets in jugs. On the other nine days of the tenday, only one Red Larcher is here, a half-orc named Grund. Grund (male half-orc thug) is the village simpleton. He ekes out a living by making pickles in vats at the end of the field. Key NPC. Grund is a happy, dim-witted sort. The other vendors all pilfer from his open pickling vats, and he cheerfully lets them. He’s easy comic relief when encountered here, but the adventurers meet him in more unpleasant circ*mstances in area T3 of the Tomb of Moving Stones (see chapter 6). 22. V a lliv o e ’s S undries Aside from the bewildering profusion of doors, barrels, rotting old furniture, and tools leaning against its outside walls, this building looks like a private home. A small, faded sign on the front door reads “Vallivoe’s Sundries.” Rooms are crammed to the rafters with new wares and used items of all sorts. Endrith Vallivoe (male Tethyrian human commoner) is a retired caravan merchant who sells new and used goods: furniture, lamps, carpets, mirrors, weapons, shields, helms, and a little bit of everything else. Almost anything might be available to buy here, buried under heaps of other stuff, and Vallivoe carries a good running inventory in his head. He’s the only vendor in town selling blank books and parchment. Key NPC. Endrith is a shy, scuttling little man who employs a small army of local children. He’s heard most of the rumors and monster sightings, but doesn’t know—-and doesn’t want to know—what’s really going on. However, he watches and listens attentively. He is friendly toward the Harpers and shares all of what he sees and hears with any Harper who asks. He is a useful, loyal informant and contact, though he’s not really cut out for any derring-do. Trouble in Red Larch. If one or more characters seem interested in helping the town with its recent troubles, Endrith says, “I don’t know if it’s relevant, but I overheard someone say that they saw a skull pinned to a tree with a black arrow, like some kind of dire warning or ill omen. It was a half day’s walk along the Larch Path, then about four miles east into the hills.” If the characters investigate this lead, run “The Last Laugh” encounter in chapter 6. Rumors of Evil. Endrith bought a strange old book from a passing merchant just a couple of days ago. The book is a beautifully illuminated manuscript written in Dwarvish. Endrith doesn’t read Dwarvish, so he doesn’t know what is in it; a character who can read the words can tell that it’s a genealogical history of the dwarf clans of Mirabar. If asked how he got it, Endrith explains that he bought it from a peddler passing through town. The peddler told Endrith that he bought it from a shady keelboat skipper in Womford, who had somehow come by a dozen similar books. (If the characters investigate, this leads to the “Womford Rats” encounter in chapter 3.) Endrith is willing to sell the tome for 50 gp, although he lets a Harper have it for 25 gp. S c a n d a l a n d R e b u ild in g If you run the “Tomb of Moving Stones” adventure in chapter 6, the exposure of the Believers leads to some big changes. Even if the Believers can avoid a murder investigation, the folk of Red Larch are scandalized to learn that many of their most respected fellow citizens were part of a secret cabal. This discovery launches a whirlwind of gossip, innuendo, and recrimination. The other citizens of Red Larch shun the Believers for the next several months, and the Believers turn against one another. Many retreat into seclusion. Leadership of Red Larch passes to Harburk, but he’s too busy as constable. After a month, Jalessa Ornra becomes Red Larch’s mayor. She’s liked and known for common sense, so the townsfolk rally around her. The townsfolk pitch in to cover the sinkhole and shore up walls and ceilings against future cave-ins. E x p l o r i n g t h e V a l le y At the beginning of the adventure, the player characters know they are up against a mysterious threat. Something isn’t right in the Dessarin Valley. To find out what exactly threatens these lands, they must leave Red Larch and venture out into the wider vale. Much of the early action of the adventure involves visiting different sites in and around the valley, solving problems and digging up clues that can lead the party to the Haunted Keeps—and then on to their confrontation with the elemental cults and the discovery of the temple complex below the Sumber Hills. T ravel It can take a full tenday for a slow-moving group—say, a merchant caravan—to trudge from Red Larch to Triboar. The Dessarin River is an obstacle to any group without a boat, since no crossing can be found between Ironford and the Stone Bridge. When the player characters set out to travel to another location, they either know how to get there or they don’t. All settlements are known sites—it takes only a few minutes of asking around to get sufficient directions to another town. Likewise, the Dessarin River and Stone Bridge are well-known landmarks. Feathergale Spire is known to anyone in Red Larch. Rivergard Keep is known to some people in Bargewright Inn and Womford. Summit Hall is known to anyone in Beliard and Womford. The Halls of the Hunting Axe site is known to anyone in Beliard. Characters from the area or drawn here by a particular hook might know these locations. All other sites are unknown, so the characters need to find such locations. For more on wilderness travel, see chapter 5, “Adventure Environments,” of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
Random E n co u n ters Most of the Dessarin Valley is wilderness in which wildlife is abundant and monsters common. Frequency. Check for a random encounter in the morning, afternoon, evening, and midnight. Roll 1d20; an encounter occurs on an 18 or higher. Range. Place an encounter at a range that fits the story you want. Every encounter need not be a confrontation. Some encounters can foreshadow their onset or allow the characters to choose to avoid them. Difficulty. During chapters 3 and 4, use the “Early Travels” random encounter table. During chapter 5, use the “Later Travels” table. At any point during travel on or very near the Dessarin River, use the “River Travels” table. Roll 1d12 + 1d8 to determine what the adventurers run into. Asterisks. Encounters marked with an asterisk have explanations that appear after the tables. Early Travels Day Night Encounter 2 — Aarakocra scouts* — 2 1d4 + 1 jackalweres 3 — Knights of Samular* 4 3 Pilgrims* — 4 1d2 owlbears 5 5 Elk tribe hunters* 6 6 1d3 ankhegs 7 7 1d3 + 1 bugbears 8 8 1d4 + 1 orcs 9 — Dwarf miners* 10 — Caravan* 1 — Homestead* 12 9 Air cult scouts* 13 10 Water cult marauders* 14 1 Earth cult robbers* 15 12 Fire cult raiders* 16 13 1d4 + 1 gnolls 17 — Shepherds* 18 14 1d6 + 2 wolves 19 15 1d3 ogres — 16 1d2 gargoyles — 17 1d3 + 1 ghouls 20 18 1d2 perytons — 19 1d3 wights — 20 The Watchful Knight* River Travels Roll Encounter 2-3 Aarakocra scouts* 4-5 Air cult skyriders* 6-9 River pirates* 10-14 Keel boat* 15-16 1d4 merrow 17-18 2d4 ghouls 19-20 1 water elemental Later Travels Day Night Encounter 2 — Aarakocra war band* — 2 2d6 jackalweres 3 3 1d3 manticores 4 4 1d3 + 1 trolls 5 5 Elk tribe hunters* — 6 1d8 will-o’-wisps 6 — Knights of Samular* 7 — Homestead* — 7 1d2 ghasts and 1d4 + 2 ghouls 8 8 1d4 + 1 gargoyles 9 9 Air cult skyriders* 10 10 Water cult raiders* 1 11 1d6 + 2 bugbears 12 12 Fire cult war band* 13 13 Earth cult marauders* 14 14 2d4 ogres 15 — Caravan* — 15 1d4 + 1 wights 16 16 2d4 mephits* 17 — Dwarf miners* — 17 1d3 vampire spawn 18 18 1d3 elementals* 19 19 1 bulette 20 20 1d2 hill giants Aarakocra Scouts. These 1d4 + 1 aarakocra attack those who appear to be elemental cultists. Otherwise, the aarakocra might be helpful. Aarakocra War Band. A war band consists of 1d6 + 3 aarakocra and an air elemental. They interact like the scouts, above. Air Cult Scouts. A group of scouts for the air cult consists of 1d4 + 1 hurricanes in wingwear. See chapter 7 for the cultists’ statistics and wingwear description. Air Cult Skyriders. One Feathergale knight leads 1d4 Skyweavers. They all ride giant vultures. See chapter 7 for the cultists’ statistics Caravan. A caravan consists of a merchant and his or her entourage heading for the nearest settlement. The group consists of 1d4 + 2 guards, 2d4 commoners, and the caravan leader (a spy). Dwarf Miners. A band of dwarf miners consists of 1d4 + 1 shield dwarf scouts and a pugnacious leader (a shield dwarf thug). Earth Cult Marauders. A band of marauders for the earth cult consists of 1d4 + 1 Black Earth guards, a Black Earth priest, and 1d4 - 1 ogres. See chapter 7 for the cultists’ statistics. Earth Cult Robbers. These earth cult robbers stake out spots to waylay Passersby. The group consists of 1d4 + 1 bandits and 1d4 Black Earth guards (see chapter 7). Elementals. A small group of elementals wanders freely. Roll a d4 to determine the type of elementals: 1, air; 2, earth; 3, fire; 4, water. Elk Tribe Hunters. This group includes a berserker and 1d4 + 1 tribal warriors. They are hostile (see “The Uthgardt Tribes” section at the end of this chapter).
Fire Cult Raiders. The fire cult sends out raiders that include 2d6 Eternal Flame warriors and an Eternal Flame priest. See chapter 7 for the cultists’ statistics. Fire Cult War Band. A war band of the fire cult consists of 1d6 Eternal Flame warriors, an Eternal Flame priest, and 1d3 hell hounds. See chapter 7 for the cultists’ statistics. Homestead. The party discovers a homestead. Roll a d6 to determine the race of the people there: 1-3, Tethyrian human; 4, Illuskan human; 5-6, halfling. A homestead consists of 1d6 adult commoners and 1d6 - 1 noncombatant children. Residents might provide friendly adventurers with food and shelter. Keelboat. A river trader’s keelboat carries 1d4 + 4 commoners (the sailors), 1d4 guards, and a captain (a spy). They are willing to offer passage to adventurers heading in the same direction. Knights of Samular. This armed patrol consists of 1d4 veterans and 1d4 guards. They hail from Summit Hall and offer a hearty “Well met!” to the characters. Mephits. Several mephits travel in a pack. Roll a d6 to determine the mephit type: 1, dust; 2, ice; 3, magma; 4, mud; 5, smoke; 6, steam. Pilgrims. A group of pilgrims includes 2d6 commoners, 1d4 + 1 guards, 1d4 acolytes, and a priest bound for a holy or special site. They’re happy for company. River Pirates. A keelboat carries 2d4 bandits, 1d4 thugs, and a pirate captain (a bandit captain). Shepherds. A group of shepherds watch over herd animals. Roll a d6 to determine the shepherds’ race: 1-4, human; 5-6, halfling. The group consists of 1d4 commoners and 1d2 leaders (scouts). The Watchful Knight. Once, this helmed horror stood watch in the common room of the Inn of the Watchful Knight in Beliard. It chooses one character at random, advances to within 5 feet, then studies the target for several seconds. If attacked, it fights back, retreating after it loses half its hit points. Otherwise, it follows the chosen character for 1d3 days, guarding its temporary master in combat. At the end of that time the helmed horror wanders off again. Water Cult Marauders. A marauder gang of the water cult consists of 2d6 Crushing Wave reavers, a Crushing Wave priest, and 1d2 fathomers. See chapter 7 for the cultists’ statistics. Water Cult Raiders. A group of raiders from the water cult includes 2d6 Crushing Wave reavers, a Crushing Wave priest, and a one-eyed shiver. The leader is a Dark Tide knight mounted on a giant crocodile. See chapter 7 for the cultists’ statistics. V a lle y S ite s The Dessarin Valley has been a well-used highway into the heart of the Sword Coast North for an age upon an age, and it has seen the ravages of many orc hordes, the rise and fall of a dwarven kingdom, frequent bands of brigands, and much more. Adventurers exploring the Sumber Hills and vicinity might visit many sites of interest as they trek across the valley. A m phail Amphail lies on the Long Road, about three days’ ride north of Waterdeep. The town is named after Amphail the Just, one of Waterdeep’s early warlords, who is said to haunt the surrounding hills in spirit form, frightening away monsters. Horses are bred and trained here, rich Waterdhavians maintain secluded estates in the hills, and farmland is plentiful. Stands of dark duskwood and spruce trees are everywhere. In one corner of the town square stands the Great Shalarn, a black stone statue of a famous war stallion bred in Amphail long ago. Gelded by a prankster, the rearing horse is often painted bright colors by highspirited locals. Children are allowed to hurl stones at birds perched on the statue, to keep it free of droppings. The children often climb it themselves and cling precariously to the high, tilted saddle, waving their arms and commanding imaginary armies into battle. Within spitting distance of the statue is the Stag-Horned Flagon, a cozy tavern. Reason to Visit. Great Shalarn is a popular place to leave cryptic messages, either tucked under the statue’s hind hooves or slid between the sculpted curls of its tail. B arg ew rig h t Inn Once a hilltop wayside inn, this site has become a walled community of ramshackle, often-rebuilt wooden towers and buildings now entirely cloaking a hill that overlooks the village of Womford across the river. Bargewright Inn reeks of manure and filthy mud. It houses blacksmiths, dealers who buy and sell horses, mules, and oxen, wheelwrights, coopers, and wagonmakers. It has inns, stables, and warehouses, and two concentric rings of high protective walls with gates that are firmly closed and barred by night. (Individuals can pay stiff fees to be raised and lowered after sunset on rope-slung chairs, but nothing beyond what they can carry can pass.) Bargewright Inn fell under Zhentarim influence a few years ago. Any member or ally of that faction can find a discreet welcome (and few or low fees) within its walls. The Zhentarim spy on everyone, even each other (or as one merchant put it, “especially each other”). Bargewright Inn is ruled by a plutocracy of business owners, most of whom are in the pockets of the Zhentarim. The unofficial leader is Chalaska Muruin (female Damaran human veteran), the terse, cold-eyed “Senior Sword” and master of the gate guards. The largest inn, The Old Bargewright, was recently rebuilt as a substantial stone structure with thick walls, secret passages, and private chambers separated from nearby rooms by sealed-off passages. Innkeeper Nalaskur Thaelond (male half-elf spy) keeps careful watch over who comes and goes from his inn; it’s where Zhentarim meet to broker deals in commerce illicit in Waterdeep, such as smuggled goods, poisons, and certain magic. Reason to Visit. Thaelond is the local leader among the Zhentarim and a key contact for characters with a connection to that faction. It’s also where two side treks,
“The Long Road” and “New Management,” start (see chapter 6). B eliard One of the more pleasant-looking villages in the Dessarin Valley thanks to its many trees, Beliard is a market-moot for local cattle drovers. It surrounds the intersection of the Dessarin Road with the Stone Trail. Beliard is home to many cattle ranchers whose herds roam the hills around it, particularly to the east. The village offers a public well, as well as a pond where harnessed horses or oxen can be driven through the water to bathe them, drive off flies, and let them drink. It’s also home to a tanner, a smith, some horse dealers and trainers who keep extensive stables, and an inn: the venerable, popular, and several-times-expanded Watchful Knight. The inn was originally named for an inoperative helmed horror that stood in the common room, but the creature mysteriously vanished years ago. The innkeeper went missing shortly thereafter. In recent years, bodyguards and mercenaries formerly active in Waterdeep and along the Heartlands trade routes retired to Beliard, and their presence makes nearby brigands reluctant to raid the village directly. Because so many big-city folk settled here, rumors persist of cached treasure buried or otherwise hidden all over Beliard, but aside from a sack of gold coins found walled away behind stones in a chimney, nothing has yet been found—nothing that has become public knowledge, at least. Reason to Visit. Beliard was the last place anyone saw the missing delegation from Mirabar (described in chapter 3). C u lt E ncam pm ents Two cult encampments are marked in specific positions on the regional map. These play a part in the events and cult reactions of the adventure. H aay o n ’s Camp This is the camp of Haayon the Punisher, described in the “Wrath of the Elements” section of chapter 5. The camp is here only after the characters have defeated the air prophet and water prophet, or forced them to retreat from their respective temples. R eaver Ambush This is the camp of water cult reavers, described in the “Early Investigations” section of chapter 3. The camp is here only until the characters defeat Jolliver Grimjaw (chapter 3) or Gar Shatterkeel (chapter 4). G o ld en field s Goldenfields is a huge walled temple-farm dedicated to Chauntea, the goddess of agriculture. Called “the granary of the North,” it’s the only reason many Northerners ever taste soft-fleshed fruit larger than bush berries. Waterdeep, Secomber, Yartar, and points beyond consume the temple’s reliable output: carefully husbanded grains and dried, oil-packed, or salted foodstuffs preserved in vast storage cellars, vats, ricks, and squat stone grain-towers. Now run by Abbot Ellardin Darovik (male Tethyrian human priest), Goldenfields is a stronghold of the Emerald Enclave. Members of that faction are as welcome here as clergy of Chauntea; many of them stay for months at a time to help with the work and the vigilant defense of the farm against insects and blights, as well as would-be vandals and plunderers. Hired adventurers patrol the walls and the land immediately around them, watching for anyone approaching. More than five thousand people live and work in Goldenfields year round, farming more than twenty square miles of tillage in gangs of hard-working gardeners. No guest at Goldenfields ever leaves hungry, and the farmer-priests expect that everyone should leave with “food for a tenday or more on the road, and seeds for the future beyond that.” Reason to Visit. Darovik is a useful contact for characters with a connection to the Emerald Enclave. Goldenfields is also an intended destination of the missing delegation, though they obviously never arrived. H a l l s o f t h e H u n t i n g A x e These monster-haunted ruins were once a grand and important city in the shield dwarf kingdom of Besilmer. The old city was a small forest of stone roundhouses, interlaced with gardens and joined by walls into one vast and sprawling building. It was surrounded by a moat fed by underground springs; splendid stone statues of heroic dwarves stood on high pedestals wherever one turned. All trace of the gigantic building is gone now except the foundations of its thickest, highest walls, which jut like lines of stone teeth from thickets of trees and creeping vines. For centuries, shards from magnificent windows of stained glass that once adorned the Halls have found their way into beautiful and distinctive glass bottles blown locally. Stories in nearby Beliard warn of predatory creatures lurking in the extensive ruins. Despite forays by adventuring bands and dwarves determined to reclaim and explore the ruins, the halls rarely stay empty for long. As a result, travelers usually give the Halls of the Hunting Axe a wide berth. Many dwarves and most local Harpers believe King Torhild Flametongue, the founder of Besilmer, lies entombed with his legendary greataxe somewhere beneath the Halls. (The rumor is true.) Some dwarven legends go further, saying the royal tomb was long deliberately sealed off by dwarves and that a fearsome curse befalls anyone who disturbs Torhild’s rest. Reason to Visit. Characters have a chance to explore Torhild’s tomb in the “Halls of the Hunting Axe” side trek in chapter 6. H au n ted Keeps In the southwestern Sumber Hills stand four ruined keeps built centuries ago by a band of adventurers, the Knights of the Silver Horn. According to most locals, these crumbling stone castles are haunted by
ghosts and prowling monsters. Sensible valley dwellers avoid them. In recent years, four elemental cults have taken over the keeps. The cultists are careful to keep the curious outside their walls—or to make sure visitors who learn the truth either join the cult or never return from their visit. Reason to Visit. These four sites are central to the adventure (see chapter 3) and places where characters confront the Elemental Evil cults directly. F e a th e rg a le Spire Home to the flamboyant Feathergale Society, this tall stone tower stands on a height commanding splendid views across the Sumber Hills. It can be seen from afar by anyone traversing the hills and is used as a private retreat by an elite hippogriff flying club comprised of rich Waterdhavians calling themselves the Feathergale Knights. These “knights” affect a dashing image and are given to drinking, singing, wearing fashionable clothing, and general revelry. The club is a cover for the Cult of the Howling Hatred. Cult warriors watch the surrounding area but leave travelers close to the spire alone. They want to avoid drawing attention to their activities for now. Sacred Stone M onastery This “keep” is actually an old stone temple built in a rocky vale at the southern edge of the Sumber Hills. It was recently reborn as the Sacred Stone Monastery, home to reclusive monks dedicated to a mysterious “Way of the Sacred Stone,” which sages across Faerun have never heard of because it’s merely a cover for the Cult of the Black Earth. The monastery is the surface stronghold of the earth cult, and it functions as the guarded entrance to the Temple of the Black Earth beneath it. All of the monks are earth cultists who are well aware of the true nature of the monastery. S c a rle t M oon H a ll Deep in the wild heart of the Sumber Hills stands Scarlet Moon Hall, the abode of the druids of the Circle of the Scarlet Moon. To folk of the Dessarin Valley, this is the most mysterious of the Haunted Keeps. It stands deep in the Sumber Hills “where the worst monsters are”—and as a result local hunters, prospectors, herbalists, and woodcutters rarely go near the place. Scarlet Moon Hall is secretly the stronghold of the Cult of the Eternal Flame, elemental fire cultists posing as druids while they seek new adherents. R ivergard Keep This stout castle stands on the banks of the Dessarin River. It consists of a stone keep and gatehouse linked by a curtain wall to a river tower and dock. Rivergard is home to a mercenary band led by “Lord of the Castle” Jolliver Grimjaw (see chapter 7). The band is repairing the old castle, and reroofing is their current major task. They claim their intention is to make Rivergard Keep their base for protecting river-borne trade from monsters and bandits. In truth, Grimjaw and his followers are themselves the bandits, and Rivergard Keep is secretly the stronghold of the Cult of the Crushing Wave. H elv en b lad e H ouse Northwest of Westbridge, on the forest’s edge, stands Helvenblade House, the principal country estate of the Silmerhelve noble house of Waterdeep. It consists of a fortified manor, stables, a guest lodge, and two outlying hunting lodges connected by grass paths that enclose a food and herb garden and a small lawn. A large, lightly wooded hunting preserve extends for several miles from the manor. The Silmerhelves visit perhaps six times a year, and the rest of the time the sleepy estate is left to the live-in staff. Helvenblade has never been overrun by bandits or otherwise put to ruin; the servants ascribe this to its protection by the “family ghost.” In reality, a secretive dragon named Umsheryoth (adult male bronze dragon) guards the house and has been a friend to the Silmerhelves for generations. Reason to Visit. Helvenblade House offers a respite from the machinations of the elemental cults, and the “family ghost” could prove an unusual but potent ally. H igh F o re st Although much shrunken from its ancient boundaries, the High Forest is still vast and mysterious. Larger than some kingdoms, it’s big enough to encompass mountains within its depths. It is home to treants of gigantic size, stags with antlers as wide across as a wagon, brown bears bigger than large sheds, owlbears, wolves, and unicorns. Woodcutters and even outlaws on the run dare visit only the verges of the High Forest. As everyone knows, those who venture too deep are seldom seen again. In the northwestern High Forest stands Shadowtop Cathedral, a stand of towering shadowtop trees that is an important meeting-place for the Emerald Enclave. Foes of the enclave have to fight to reach it, but members can readily find aid, healing, and advice in the grove. Reason to Visit. Shadowtop Cathedral is a key base for the Emerald Enclave. Also, characters from the Tree Ghost Uthgardt tribe call the High Forest home. H o m estead s Scores of isolated homesteads are scattered across the Dessarin Valley, but only a few that are featured in the adventure’s side treks are shown on the regional map. Additional homesteads appear on the Random Encounters tables earlier in this chapter. Not even lifelong residents of the Dessarin Valley know exactly where all the outlying farms and ranches lie, and characters traveling cross country might stumble across lonely farmhouses or outlying ranches anywhere. Since homesteads are permanent structures, make a note on the regional map when the characters discover one at random. It should be in the same place if the party passes through again. A homestead usually consists of a farmhouse with thick shutters for the windows and a bar for the door, a barn or two containing livestock, a feed crib, and crops
or pastures nearby. Most homesteaders are human or halfling commoners. They gladly welcome travelers (especially adventurers who look like they’re trying to chase away outlaws and monsters) and are eager for news. Homesteaders can usually point the way to the nearest town or neighboring homesteads (there is usually another homestead within one or two hexes). Reason to Visit. If the characters speak with homesteaders in the area east of the Sumber Hills, they learn that raiders in brown cloaks sacked a few farms and dragged off their inhabitants. (These captives are currently held in the slave pens beneath Sacred Stone Monastery.) In addition, three homesteads—Anderil Farm, Dellmon Ranch, and Nettlebee Ranch—are featured in side treks and shown on the regional map. K ry p tg ard en F o rest Kryptgarden Forest hides many old dwarven ruins and the extensive underground city now known as Southkrypt. For centuries, this forest has been the home and hunting ground of the ancient female green dragon Claugiyliamatar, better known to many as “Old Gnawbone.” She earned her nickname by her habit of gnawing on old kills, and is often seen with a mangled corpse hanging from her mouth. Other dragons rarely remain in Kryptgarden Forest for long because Claugiyliamatar drives them out. Hunters from Westbridge used to cautiously seek game along the easternmost verges of Kryptgarden but dare not do so now, after several hunting parties disappeared. Small game remains plentiful, but larger beasts are seldom seen. Presumably, such beasts have fallen prey to Old Gnawbone. L ance R ock A prominent landmark near Red Larch, Lance Rock is a slender stone monolith that juts up out of the plains a few miles west of the Long Road. It stands only about 25 feet high, but the land nearby is flat and open, so it can be seen from miles away on a clear day. Lance Rock is made of granite that doesn’t match any other stone nearby, and looks like it was dropped from the sky—which it was. Long ago, Claugiyliamatar, the ancient green dragon known as “Old Gnawbone,” took the enormous stone from the Sword Mountains and dropped it on a rival red dragon. The red dragon’s bones are long gone, and few but Claugiyliamatar know the origin of the stone. Reason to Visit. Characters who investigate rumors of plague near Lance Rock might discover the lair of a necromancer nearby (see “Lance Rock” in chapter 6). N ev erw in ter The city of Neverwinter lies on the Sword Coast, west and north from the Dessarin Valley. Once known as the
Jewel of the North, Neverwinter was badly damaged when nearby Mount Hotenow erupted about fifty years ago. The City of Skilled Hands works furiously to rebuild itself as a wealthy trading city known for its clocks and other superbly made local items. Neverwinter’s reconstruction is far from complete, however. Entire sections of the city still lie in rubble, plagued by brigands and monsters, and sinister factions scheme to take over the place. Neverwinter is part of the league of city-states known as the Lords’ Alliance. Lord Dagult Neverember rules over the city, even though he isn’t the true heir to Neverwinter’s crown. He supports the alliance’s efforts to establish civilization throughout the North, although his primary concern is to rebuild the city and its economy. The most direct route to Neverwinter from the Dessarin Valley is to head west along the trail from Triboar to the tiny town of Phandalin (about 140 miles), then north another 110 miles or so along the coastal road. Riders who know the way, travel light, and push hardy mounts can make the trip in as little as eight or nine days. Reason to Visit. If the characters need the services and commerce of a big city and Waterdeep doesn’t do for some reason, then Neverwinter is the next best choice. R u n d reth M anor Atop a hill overlooking the Long Road less than a day’s travel northeast of Amphail stands ruined Rundreth Manor. This large stone mansion, now roofless and overgrown, is home to a mysterious and terrifying figure known far and wide as “the Dark Lady.” Locals warn everyone to stay well away from the ruins. The truth of the tale is that the “Dark Lady” is a female adult black shadow dragon named Nurvureem, who has established her lair in the caverns beneath the manor. Her favorite shape is a beautiful female drow. In this form, Nurvureem lures adventurers into the manor and stalks them. She sometimes poses as a drow captive of a dragon, desperate to avoid being eaten and willing to pay with her treasure to be rescued. The Harpers have learned her secret, and do their best to spread stories of the Dark Lady to scare off curious or foolhardy adventurers. They warn fellow members to approach Nurvureem with extreme caution. In recent months, Nurvureem has been pestered by elemental cultists looking for potential bases. By leaving their shredded corpses on the road for all to see, she hopes to make it clear to the cultists that they should leave Rundreth Manor alone. Reason to Visit. A side trek in chapter 6 takes place at Rundreth Manor, and the characters have a chance to confront the Dark Lady and perhaps find common cause against the cults. S to n e B ridge This gigantic stone archway (two miles long and four hundred feet high) comfortably spans the widest spring flood of the Dessarin River. It is a sacred site of pilgrimage for many dwarves. Long ago, the dwarf god Moradin appeared atop the Stone Bridge to rally dwarves of the Ironstar clan against a horde of orcs. The founder of Besilmer, King Torhild Flametongue, died fighting a hill giant atop the Stone Bridge. (He is entombed within the Halls of the Hunting Axe.) Built to connect those parts of the dwarven realm of Besilmer on both the western and eastern banks of the Dessarin, the Stone Bridge is made of smooth, fused hard granite. It is only six paces wide and lacks railings or barriers, so anyone atop it is at the mercy of the wind, particularly in winter. Reason to Visit. The Stone Bridge is the only crossing of the Dessarin River between Ironford and Yartar; travelers and caravans frequently use it (with care). Sum ber H ills The Sumber Hills are windswept badlands sparsely covered in dry grass. Many of the hills have exposed rock faces or steep escarpments. While the hills are dry, countless tiny streams rise from hidden springs (usually clean and drinkable), then flow down to join the Dessarin River, which bisects the hills. Most locals only think of the wilder, higher hills west of the river when they hear “Sumber Hills,” because it’s there that once had rich quarries and good hunting. Some hunting lodges and keeps owned by wealthy Waterdhavians or adventurers remain—and in recent times have become homes to bandits and monsters. Those who quarry the Sumber Hills for building stones and gravel often trade tales of finding gemstones and rich veins of ore in the hills—but for the most part, these persistent tales have never been more than talk. In the last few years, the infamous “Haunted Keeps” in the western Sumber Hills have all been reoccupied. Sightings of strange beasts and menacing figures have increased, too. Reason to Visit. The characters likely traipse all over the Sumber Hills in chapter 3 of the adventure as they seek out the Haunted Keeps. Sum m it H a ll Summit Hall was established long ago as a fortified monastery by the Knights of Samular, an order dedicated to Tyr, god of justice. A paladin of Tyr named Samular Caradoon founded the order and its monastery. A tomb within the monastery contains Samular’s remains as well as the phylactery of his brother, Renwick Caradoon, who dwells in the Sacred Stone Monastery (see “Haunted Keeps” above) as a lich. Lady Ushien Stormbanner (female Tethyrian human knight of Tyr) oversees Summit Hall. Veterans, many of them scarred and grim, train novices and instruct them in the moral “Rule of the Knights” (an extensive series of “in this situation, a knight shall do this” guidelines). Life here is very regimented. The occupants of Summit Hall grow their own food and keep perpetual watch over nearby lands. They are always ready for battle, and fully armed and armored if encountered outside their walls. Reason to Visit. Characters who track the Mirabar delegation from Beliard find that the delegation never
reached Summit Hall. The site where elemental cultists attacked the delegation lies only a few miles away. Later in the adventure, characters affiliated with the Order of the Gauntlet can turn to the Knights of Samular to recruit guards for locations they’ve cleared or other “off camera” needs for low-level soldiers. T rib o ar The town of Triboar stands where the Long Road meets the Evermoor Way, a well-used caravan road that runs east to the city of Yartar. Triboar is the chief rival to Yartar, and the two communities compete for the trade of the Dessarin Valley. The current lord protector is a good-natured Harper and ex-adventurer named Darathra Shendrel (female Tethyrian human knight), known for the excellent wine she makes. Darathra enacts and modifies local laws (known as “The Lord’s Decree”), which are then enforced by “The Twelve,” a dozen mounted veterans drawn from the militia to serve in a tenday cycle. Triboar is a horse-market for a dozen nearby ranches that turn out trained draft horses, riding mounts and ponies, and pack mules. Blacksmiths, harnessmakers, and wagonworks flourish in town. In addition, a number of guides operate from Triboar. They take merchants and other travelers all over the Sword Coast North (typically for stiff fees). Many of these guides are retired adventurers who know the North well. A half-elf adventurer named Gervor and his companions went missing recently. The adventurers were staying in town, and locals expected them to return tendays ago. In addition, two important merchants from Waterdeep, Kharloss and Jarlee, are overdue. (Gervor is currently a prisoner in area B14 of the Temple of the Black Earth, while the two Waterdhavians were captured by fire cultists on the Long Road. They are currently held in area W6 of the Weeping Colossus.) Reason to Visit. Any Harper can readily find refuge and aid in the Home of the Boars, a lodge on the outskirts of the town. Darathra is a key contact for characters affiliated with the Harpers. The Zhentarim has spies in the town as well, and its agents might contact the characters in the course of “The Long Road” side trek in chapter 6. V a le o f D a n c in g W a te r s Called Tyn’rrin Wurlur in Dwarvish, this narrow gorge carries a trio of creeks down to the Dessarin River in cascades of water. The vale is on the west side of the river and found at the end of a secret trail leading south from the Stone Bridge. Long ago, the vale was the site of the summer palace of King Torhild Flametongue of the dwarven kingdom
of Besilmer. In time, it became a sacred place where dwarves come to worship their gods. Some legends among the Stout Folk say the cellars of the ancient palace hide riches of the royal treasury of Besilmer. (Actually, the palace collapsed long ago, but the shrine survives.) Recent sightings of monsters and roving bands of marauders in the Sumber Hills have alarmed the shield dwarf priests who tend the shrine. They worry that enemies might find the way to the hidden vale. Reason to Visit. The Order of the Gauntlet has allies among the dwarves here, and the characters might be asked to check on them in the “Vale of Dancing Waters” side trek (see chapter 6). W aterdeep The City of Splendors is a bustling city on the Sword Coast. A rider from Red Larch can reach Waterdeep in seven days, three if he or she changes horses often and dares to ride by night. Some merchants have termed Waterdeep “the best supply center in the world,” with the largest collection of superb craft workers, experts, useful contacts, and potential hirelings to be found anywhere. Others warn that it represents a huge army of potential enemies for those who aren’t careful—and everyone agrees that its busy streets are full of spies. Waterdhavian noble families and guilds hold tremendous political and economic sway up and down the Sword Coast, but within the city itself, true power lies with the Masked Lords of Waterdeep—individuals who convene secretly and whose identities are largely unknown. The public face of this ruling body is the Open Lord of Waterdeep. The current Open Lord, Laeral Silverhand, has held the position for only a few months, and many of the city’s nobles and guildmasters are vying for her attention and conspiring to wrest power away from her office, while taking advantage of the transition to dispose of unwanted rivals. This kind of political chaos is “business as usual” for most city residents. Reason to Visit. Characters who need rare items, sage advice, or other services found only in large cities might say “we’re going to Waterdeep.” W estb rid g e A village strung out along the Long Road between Red Larch and Triboar, Westbridge is home to the Harvest Inn, which stands on the west side of the Long Road facing the wagon road from the Stone Bridge. The inn is run by the affable Herivin Dardragon (male halfling commoner), a curly-haired collector and reseller of paintings and statuettes of questionable taste. The town is full of rumors about the disappearance of Oric and Lathna, siblings who were abducted by raiders from a homestead a short distance outside of town. (They are currently serving in the kitchens of Rivergard Keep.) Herivin Dardragon is also worried about one of his regulars, a female shield dwarf prospector named Wulgreda. She has not stopped by in a long time (and is a prisoner in the Temple of the Black Earth). Reason to Visit. Westbridge is a target when the cultists take revenge for the characters’ actions.
The characters probably come to Westbridge in the aftermath of the “Dire Tidings” counterattack in chapter 4, or after the “Counsel of Despair” event in chapter 5. W estw ood A tangled and varied forest cloaking the eastern foothills of the Sword Mountains, these woods are home to a shrine to Mielikki, several woodcutters’ camps that are often taken over forcibly for a season or a few months at a time by bandits, and a few overgrown ruins of the ancient elven kingdom of Rilithar. Recently, a roving band of Elk tribe barbarians (see “The Uthgardt Tribes” below) have come to Westwood. They forcibly evicted bandits from the innermost woodcutters’ camps, then camped there themselves to explore and hunt in Westwood. Reason to Visit The Elk tribe and the adventurers have common enemies: the elemental cults. Although characters will be hard-pressed to win the barbarians’ trust, they can pry useful information out of them. The Elk hunters know the Sumber Hills well and can provide simple, landmark-based directions to two cult strongholds: Rivergard Keep and Scarlet Moon Hall (though they don’t know the names of these locations). WOMFORD This tiny village has a dock on the Dessarin River for shipping the grain from its grist mill. It is also the local supply and market for the surrounding farms from which the grain comes. Aside from the mill, the village consists of a handful of granaries and a larger handful of cottages, several of which house tiny local shops. According to old tales, the village was known as Ironford until a dragon was slain nearby. Passers-by began to call the settlement “Wyrm Ford,” a name subsequently corrupted, thanks to the thick local accent, into “Womford.” Womford is a center of thinly disguised cult activity thanks to its location on the Dessarin. River pirates and smugglers allied to the water cult frequently put in at the town’s dock. Ruffians and thugs seem to take over the village whenever a keelboat is tied up at the dock. In fact, some locals have thrown in with the smugglers— three young ne’er-do-wells named Gorm, Herek, and Shadnil sailed off a month ago to join up. (They are now servants in the kitchens of Rivergard Keep.) Womforders lock and bar their doors and shutter their windows at night, for fear of the “Womford Bat,” a nocturnal predator that snatches folk it can catch outside after dark. One villager named Darreth vanished only steps from his own front door a tenday ago. (He was actually abducted by water cultists, and is now a captive in area F21 of the Fane of the Eye.) Reason to Visit Characters who try to trace the origin of the mysterious book during their investigations into the missing delegation might come to Womford and deal with the Womford Rats, as described in chapter 3. Y a rta r This fortified city commands the most northerly wagon bridge over the Dessarin River. A walled citadel on the west bank of the river connects to a bridge wide enough to accommodate two wagons with room to spare, connecting the Evermoor Way into and through Yartar. The road leads east to Everlund and Silverymoon, and west to Triboar and eventually Waterdeep via the Long Road. Yartar is prosperous and increasingly crowded, so buildings have been torn down and taller ones builtfour stories high in some instances. A Waterbaron who rules for life leads Yartar. The current Waterbaron is the shrewd, farseeing Nestra Ruthiol (female Tethyrian human noble). Yartar is part of the Lords’ Alliance, and Ruthiol considers that membership vital for its survival and prosperity. She knows that Harpers and Zhentarim are well established in the city, but her path only crosses with theirs when the wellbeing of Yartarrans is at stake. The elemental cults have begun abducting Yartarrans who won’t be missed—poor people and drunkards, mostly—and smuggling them out of the city. These missing Yartarrans are currently being held in area A12 of the Temple of Howling Hatred (see chapter 4). Reason to Visit The “Dark Dealings in Yartar” side trek (chapter 6) brings the characters here. More broadly, characters affiliated with the Lords’ Alliance can readily receive support in Yartar, and Harpers and Zhentarim can get aid, too, if they’re discreet and know how to contact an agent in town. T h e U t h g a r d t T r ib e s Most of the human barbarians in the vicinity of the Dessarin Valley belong to the various Uthgardt tribes. They take their name from Uthgar, a great hero-chief who conquered much of the North many centuries ago before ascending to godhood. Each tribe venerates its own particular totem animal and protects its own sacred sites, known as ancestral mounds. Some Uthgardt are relatively settled and trade with the civilized folk of the area, while others are aggressive raiders who pillage any caravan or homestead they come across. The major tribes in the vicinity of the Dessarin Valley include the Elk, Gray Wolf, Griffon, and Tree Ghost. The Gray Wolf and Griffon tribesfolk are known as fierce warriors, but they rarely wander as far south as the Sumber Hills. The Tree Ghosts are a reclusive band that roams the High Forest; the barbarians are sometimes seen in the vales between the Sumber Hills and the edge of the forest, but they are among the more peaceful tribes and rarely trouble settlers or travelers in this area. Uthgardt of the Elk tribe regard most of the Dessarin Valley as their territory. Small bands of Elk warriors roam the Westwood, the Sumber Hills, and the hilly land around the Dessarin and Surbrin rivers. Because they are relatively few in number, the Elk barbarians stay well away from the cities and towns in the area. However, they often attack weakly defended caravans on remote trails that are far from help. The tribesfolk generally don’t harass poor working folk such as homesteaders and shepherds, although they sometimes steal sheep or other livestock if the opportunity presents itself.
C h a p t e r 3 : S e c r e t o f t h e S u m b e r H i l l s HE ADVENTURE STARTS IN RED LARCH, with the characters investigating the disappearance of a delegation from Mirabar. Characters are free to go wherever their information, as provided by you, takes them. Clues lead them to Haunted Keeps in the Sumber Hills. These old fortresses have become secret outposts for the cults of Elemental Evil. T h e M issin g D e le g a tio n For months now, the cults of Elemental Evil have been establishing themselves in the Dessarin Valley without attracting much attention. Two tendays ago, that changed when an important delegation from the city of Mirabar disappeared in the Sumber Hills. The delegation traveled overland from Westbridge to Beliard, crossing the Stone Bridge. From Beliard it headed south into the Sumber Hills, bound for Summit Hall. Earth cultists attacked the group a few miles from Summit Hall. The cultists took prisoners back to the Sacred Stone Monastery, paying water cultists for the use of their riverboats to cross the Dessarin River, which is how the delegation’s valuables end up in Womford (see “Rumors in Red Larch”). On their way back to their base, the earth cultists skirmished with T
air cultists, which accounts for the “Shallow Graves” section later in this chapter. After their arrival at the Sacred Stone Monastery, some of the delegation members were put to work in the mines. Others were sent down to the Temple of the Black Earth (see chapter 4). Other troubles have also surfaced recently, including some that might directly affect the characters. Tailor the introduction to work with the factions, backgrounds, and motivations in play among the characters. The Priest’s Purse. If you began this campaign with the introductory adventures in chapter 6, remind the players about the trade bars, minted in Mirabar, that the party found in the possession of Larrakh in the Tomb of Moving Stones. A dventure S ta rt Red Larch is a little town on the Long Road, a few days’ travel north of Waterdeep and south of Yartar. It’s a way station for caravans coming to or from the cities of the North, with only one inn, the Swinging Sword. An important delegation from the city of Mirabar disappeared in the nearby Sumber Hills. The whole town is also abuzz with news and rumors of fierce raiders, roaming monsters, suspicious strangers, and unseasonable weather. The five factions know about the overdue delegation and are concerned enough to send agents to investigate. Characters affiliated with these factions are contacted and asked to help out. Tell each player in private why his or her faction is concerned about the missing delegation. The exact reasons for each faction are described as follows: Harpers. The delegation included a renowned shield dwarf historian named Bruldenthar, who was transporting his collection of manuscripts to Waterdeep. The Harpers don’t want the sage or his books to fall into the wrong hands. Lords’Alliance. Three important diplomats from cities in the alliance were leading the delegation: a moon elf from Silverymoon named Teresiel, a shield dwarf from Mirabar named Rhundorth, and a human noble from Waterdeep named Deseyna Majarra. The diplomats are important, but each also carries one part of a secret, coded document that must be recovered at all costs. Emerald Enclave. The moon elf Teresiel had in her possession a pouch of magical seeds she was taking Character Advancement This adventure assumes that the characters begin this chapter at 3rd level. Some of the Haunted Keeps are tougher than others. Feathergale Spire is designed for a 3rd-level party, Rivergard Keep works best for a 4th-level party, Sacred Stone is designed for a 5th-level party, and Scarlet Moon Hall should challenge a 6th-level party. Each outpost the characters overcome should advance them at least one level. to the abbey of Goldenfields, not far from Red Larch. When planted, these seeds are supposed to grow into a magical grove. Order of the Gauntlet. The delegation was also transporting the body of a knight who was killed fighting orcs in the Spine of the World. The knight was to be interred with honor at Summit Hall, the chapter house of an order called the Knights of Samular. It lies in the southeast Sumber Hills. The Zhentarim. The Zhentarim aren’t particularly concerned about the delegation for its own sake, but they see an interesting opportunity here to rescue the missing delegates and win the gratitude of the leaders of Mirabar. Accordingly, a Zhentarim character wants to prove the good faith of the Black Network by lending a helping hand. Nonfaction Start. Characters who aren’t attached to the five factions can search for the missing delegation on their own initiative or might be motivated by their personal calls to action. The mystery of a missing delegation might not seem to be directly connected to whatever personal goal the character brings to the adventure, but then again, it just could be the lead. R um ors in R ed L a rc h Red Larch is described in detail in chapter 2. Characters who take the time to talk to locals might gain a lead or learn something useful. The best places to hear the latest rumors about the missing delegation are the town tavern (the Helm at Highsun), the common room of the town inn (the Swinging Sword), or the store (Gaelkur’s). Rumors. An evening of asking questions in and around Red Larch reveals the following rumors. • The Mirabar delegation was last seen in the town of Beliard. This information comes from a caravan guard in the Helm at Highsun and an itinerant priest of Lathander in the Swinging Sword who just came from Beliard. • A dozen beautiful old books written in Dwarvish showed up in the cargo of a shady keelboat skipper in Womford. Characters hear this fact from Endrith Vallivoe, a local shopkeeper drinking in the Swinging Sword, who bought one of the books from a merchant recently arrived from Womford. • Four new graves—simple rock cairns, really—have appeared on a windswept hilltop in the Sumber Hills, a few miles outside of town. The shepherd Larmon Greenboot found them, and he has no idea who would have been buried out there in the last few days. Larmon hangs around Gaelkur’s. He can guide the characters to the site where he found the graves, but he insists on waiting until morning. • An Amnian merchant heading north on the Long Road stopped in Thorsk Thelorn’s workshop for a wagon repair. His goods were marked by a strange symbol, like a bowl. He paid Thorsk well and talked about a big gathering of druids he was heading to, hoping to sell kegs of beer and various trinkets. If the characters mention the Amnian merchant to Thorsk, they can get directions to Scarlet Moon Hall.
E a r ly In v e s tig a tio n s Armed with a lead or two from their inquiries in Red Larch (and perhaps with clues from their personal calls to action), the characters can begin their search. Ask the players where they want their characters to go and continue with “Beliard,” “Shallow Graves,” or “Womford Rats,” as appropriate. Controlling Information. To find a Haunted Keep, the party must develop a lead by following events in the adventure, employing scrying magic, or methodically searching the Sumber Hills. Some or all of the player characters might begin the adventure already in possession of useful information because of the adventure hooks in chapter 1. Key clues from these hooks include the following: • Best Served Cold: The character hears from tavern patrons in Red Larch that a band of minstrels called the Windwyrds performs at Feathergale Spire. The character knows the spire’s location. • Dangerous Information: The character knows where the Reaver Ambush encounter takes place (see “Cult Reprisals” later in this chapter) and can go there to intervene. • Feathergale Rebel: The character knows the location of Feathergale Spire. • Madman at Haunted Keep: The character knows the location of Rivergard Keep. • Standing Offer or Strange Map: The character knows the location of the Sacred Stone Monastery. • Suspicious Fellow: The character knows the location of Feathergale Spire and heard that Thurl Merosska can be found there. • Undercover: The character knows the location of Rivergard Keep and that Jolliver Grimjaw is in charge. Anyone in Red Larch can provide good directions to Feathergale Spire if the characters ask about the place. It’s a well-known site. It’s fine if the characters decide to follow up on one of these leads instead of investigating the missing delegation. B eliard Check for random encounters during the journey to Beliard (see chapter 2). Orchards and large cattle ranches surround the little town of Beliard. Large stockyards lie on the east side of town, and stone warehouses along the Dessarin Road indicate the regular caravan traffic that passes through. Everyone is talking about the travelers from Mirabar and wondering what happened. A dozen theories make the rounds, but most make no sense. If the characters sort through the gossip look for those who spoke with the Mirabarrans, they unearth the following leads: • Neshor Fleurdin, proprietor of the Watchful Knight inn, spoke with the delegation leaders and learned they planned to head south on the Dessarin Road. They intended to visit Summit Hall next, returning the body of a knight slain in the North. • Senya, a server at the Watchful Knight, noticed a strange monk who wore a golden mask observing the Mirabarrans closely while they stayed at the Watchful Knight. The monk left a few hours before the delegation set out and hasn’t been seen since. • A cattle drover met the delegation on the Dessarin Road about ten miles south of town, a few hours after they left. Later that day he saw a group of five warriors in sky-blue armor and white cloaks, flying on giant vultures. The aerial riders flew overhead and turned south, heading in the same direction as the delegation. Eann, a cattle drover drinking at the Watchful Knight, tells this tale to anyone who listens. If the characters ask about warriors on flying monsters or giant vultures, they gain an additional rumor: • Halrud Ponden, the townmaster and chief lawkeeper of Beliard, looks nervous as he tells the characters about warriors in blue armor and white cloaks flying on monsters or giant vultures have been seen near Feathergale Spire, not far from Red Larch. Nothing more comes to light about the strange monk in Beliard. The characters have to keep looking. The D essarin Road If the party follows the trail south from Beliard toward Summit Hall and Womford, they come across the spot where the delegation from Mirabar was attacked. No one else found it because it’s off the road. Only in the last day or two have natural scavengers returned to the area, since the lingering aura of elemental magic kept them away until now. The Dessarin Road leads south through the barren Sumber Hills. You don’t meet any other travelers this day, but you find evidence that the trail supports traffic—wagon ruts and mule droppings prove that people come this way on a regular basis. You find nothing else until you are about fifteen miles south of Beliard, when you spot a cloud of ravens and vultures circling a mile or so west of the trail. If the characters investigate, they find the remains of a pitched battle between the earth cult and the delegation from Mirabar. In a small dell a mile off the road, you find the remains of a battle. A dozen dead soldiers lie on the ground, dressed in black surcoats bearing the emblem of a red axe. Most appear to have died from battle injuries, although some lie in small craters or jumbles of broken rock. Abandoned and looted wagons lie nearby. A couple of broken trunks sit on the ground by the wagons. Two rock cairns—one large and one small—stand atop a hillside nearby.
Characters native to the North recognize the red axe design as the emblem of Mirabar. Non-native characters recognize it with a successful DC 10 Intelligence (History) check. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check identifies the craters and rock jumbles as the effects of powerful earth-based magic. None of the Mirabar delegates are here, but almost all of their escorts were killed. The large cairn contains the bodies of five dead bugbears. They are dressed in black leather armor with a strange triangular symbol on it (the earth cult symbol). The small cairn contains the body of a human woman in monk’s robes, with a strange golden mask shaped like a snarling gargoyle face (a Sacred Stone monk killed in the fight). The mask is made of gilded tin and not particularly valuable. Tracks. A character studying the tracks in the area who makes a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check learns that a large group of about thirty bugbears and Medium humanoids wearing boots headed west into the hills. The trail leads several miles to the banks of the Dessarin River in the middle of nowhere, but gouges in the bank show where several keelboats landed. S hallow G raves The shepherd Larmon Greenboot in Red Larch leads the characters to this site if they ask. The characters might also stumble across the site while traveling in the Sumber Hills near Red Larch. On a barren hilltop a few miles from Red Larch, you find four freshly dug shallow graves. The earth scraped out for the holes is piled nearby, although hastily gathered stones cover the graves. The faint smell of death hangs in the air, and several vultures circle overhead. If Larmon is with the party, he explains that he grazes his sheep in a nearby vale, and he passed by this spot less than a month ago. There were no graves present on his previous visit. He found them just a couple of days ago and has no idea who might be buried here—none of the folk of Red Larch are missing, and he doesn’t know of anyone else out this way. The hills are mostly uninhabited. Grave Occupants. If the characters excavate the graves, they find one male dwarf dressed in artisan robes (a smith from Mirabar), one female human warrior dressed in a red surcoat with a black axe (the symbol of Mirabar’s army), one male human warrior dressed in a black cloak with strange stony armor (an earth cultist), and one male human in a white robe with black feathers at the shoulders (an air cultist). All died from arrow wounds or crushing blows, and the earth cultists who won the battle buried the fallen on both sides because they believe everything should ultimately be consumed by the earth. What’s Around? If any of the characters make a serious effort to study the surrounding area, they find a confused collection of tracks, a few broken arrows, a discarded javelin, and a tattered gray cloak. You have a good view of the surrounding hills from this vantage point. Several miles to the west you can make out the tiny outline of Red Larch, and the thin dark line marking the Long Road. Perhaps two miles to the north, you see a slender old tower circled by large birds. Nothing else is around here. If asked, Larmon identifies the tower in the distance as Feathergale Spire. All he knows about the place is that “knights out of Waterdeep come up here sometimes, riding on flying monsters.” He adds, “They keep to themselves.” Sum mit H a ll The party might discover that the delegation for Mirabar was headed for Summit Hall and travel there directly, without following the Dessarin Road from Beliard. (This is most likely if a character belonging to the Order of the Gauntlet insists on going directly to Summit Hall.) This small stronghold stands on a hilltop in the southern region of the Sumber Hills. It consists of a stone hall surrounded by a fifteen-foot wall with a sturdy wooden gate. Stables, a tower, barracks, and storage buildings are enclosed within the protective wall. A banner flying an emblem of a crossed torch and sword flutters overhead. Summit Hall is home to about a dozen Knights of Samular, an order of long-suffering Tyr worshipers who have been reenergized by their god’s return. They host another dozen young aspirants-in-training, and about fifteen servants and artisans to help maintain the place. The most senior knight is a human woman of sixty years named Ushien Stormbanner, an ally of the Order of the Gauntlet. Ushien is happy to meet with any adventurers that turn up on her doorstep. She tells the characters that the delegates from Mirabar never showed up at Summit Hall, and that her warriors searched the area and didn’t find them (both true). The Golden Mask. If any of the characters mention monks in golden masks or show Lady Ushien the mask of the monk from the cairn in the Dessarin Road site, Ushien recognizes it. She can tell the characters that the masks are worn by the monks of the Sacred Stone order. She doesn’t know much about them, but she can tell the characters that the monks have taken over one of the old Haunted Keeps. She provides directions to the Sacred Stone Monastery. W om ford R ats Womford is a tiny settlement on the banks of the Dessarin River, south of the Ironford Bridge. A dilapidated dock juts out into the river, and three keelboats are tied there. A large mill sits on the riverbank, with several big granaries nearby and a handful of small, run-down cottages.
Most of the townsfolk are intimidated by the thugs who run their criminal trade from their keelboats. Questions about, “Is anybody selling books around here?” or “Where do we find the river boats?” quickly lead the party to the docks. Two of the three keelboats are crewed by commoners (ordinary river sailors). The third belongs to a gang of water cultists: the genasi Shoalar Quanderil (see chapter 7), his servant Pike (a halfling thug), and two bandits loyal to the genasi. The cultists’ keelboat is 30 feet long. The middle 10 feet feature a small deck house, with a forecastle at one end and an open stern at the other. The holds are crammed with ordinary provisions, marked with the water cult symbol. Roleplaying Shoalar Shoalar appears jovial, but he has a biting sense of humor and tends to laugh at people rather than with them. If questioned, he denies any knowledge of books or delegates from Mirabar, but he is lying. Characters who present themselves as fellow rogues or potential recruits might be able to persuade him to admit that he “ferried unsavory passengers across the river a couple of tendays ago, and how they paid was no worry of mine.” Characters who threaten or act suspiciously trigger an attack from Shoalar and his crew. Treasure Shoalar wears a leather belt pouch containing 10 gp, three small malachites (10 gp each), and a potion of healing. A trunk in the deckhouse contains five tomes written in Dwarvish (historical accounts of the old kingdom of Delzoun), each worth 30 gp. A large chart on a table in the deckhouse marks the location of Rivergard Keep with a hand-drawn water cult symbol. C u lt R e p risa ls The cults of Elemental Evil don’t wait passively for a band of heroes to systematically eliminate each cult’s surface outpost. Even if the characters destroy one of the Haunted Keep outposts completely and eliminate all possible witnesses, the elemental prophets gain glimpses of the threat facing them through dreams, visions, and portents. The Elder Elemental Eye warns the prophets of danger and impels them to respond. You have four reprisals to choose from: “Tremors,” “Skyriders,” “Reaver Ambush,” and “Fiery Fangs.” Let player interest and your own sense of pacing dictate which reprisal to use. • If a character has the Dangerous Information adventure hook (see chapter 1), run “Reaver Ambush” when the character resolves to travel to the attack site and stop it. • Choose one reprisal to run after the characters visit the first locale (Beliard, Dessarin Road, Shallow Graves, Summit Hall, or Womford Rats). “Skyriders” and “Reaver Ambush” are good choices because they point to lower-level Haunted Keeps (Feathergale Spire and Rivergard Keep, respectively). • Choose a second reprisal to run after the characters visit the first of the Haunted Keeps. This is a good opportunity to point the characters toward the air or water keeps—whichever one the characters haven’t explored yet. • Choose a third reprisal to run after the characters visit the third of the Haunted Keeps. Trem ors While the characters explore the Sumber Hills, they experience first-hand the strange phenomena and dangerous monsters plaguing the area. Use this reprisal any time the characters travel between towns or search the hills for sites of interest.
You are trudging along through the barren countryside when you hear a low, distant rumbling. A moment later, the ground beneath your feet begins shaking. The tremor is strong enough to start small slides of pebbles from the hillsides and cause shrubs and brush to wave from side to side, but then it subsides. A moment later, horrible insectlike creatures as big as horses begin to burrow out of the ground! The insect-like monsters are two ankhegs, hungry for flesh. The creatures haven’t specifically been sent by the earth cult to attack the characters, but the local evil influence of the cult makes events such as the tremor and the ankheg attack almost commonplace in the Dessarin Valley. Skyriders Nosy heroes asking awkward questions in the towns nearby gain the attention of the Howling Hatred cult. The air cultists send a group of aerial raiders to eliminate the characters, or at least to give them a good scare. This encounter can occur any time the characters are away from a settlement. A strange, croaking cry from somewhere above catches your attention. You spot a trio of huge, winged shapes gliding toward you—giant vultures! Each bird carries on its back a warrior in dull blue armor with a dirty white cloak. The attackers include one Feathergale knight and two Howling Hatred initiates (see chapter 7 for both), each mounted on a giant vulture. The riders prefer to keep their distance and make ranged attacks. They are also protective of their mounts. If a vulture is reduced to half its hit points or less, its rider disengages and retreats. If any two riders are killed or retreat, the third flees. Treasure None of the riders carry treasure, but one of them has a map tucked into his boot. (Whichever villain the characters defeat has the map—the characters should find it.) The map shows a crude sketch of the Dessarin Valley and marks a place called “the Spire” a few miles east of Red Larch. It also depicts a strange arrow-like symbol by the site (the air cult symbol). R eav er A m bush If the characters learned about this attack from the Dangerous Background adventure hook, they know that a band of raiders intends to ambush a caravan on the trail between Red Larch and the Ironford Bridge, a few miles from Bargewright Inn. They can find the villains camped just out of sight from the trail. Otherwise, the characters can encounter this camp any time they travel along one of the roads or trails in the area. A small, carefully banked cooking fire smolders in the middle of this haphazard encampment. Haifa dozen battered old tents and crates of provisions are scattered around, along with racks on which pieces of smoked fish are curing. Several fierce-looking human warriors are hunkered down in front of their tents, tending to their gear or quietly conversing. The camp is occupied by one Crushing Wave priest, two Crushing Wave reavers, and five bandits (statistics for the priest and the reavers appear in chapter 7). If the characters have the advantage of foreknowledge and successfully sneak up on the villains, they can surprise the water cultists. Otherwise, the cultists assume that any strangers are enemies and attack. If all the Crushing Wave members are killed, surviving bandits try to flee or surrender. Development Captured Crushing Wave cultists refuse to talk, but captured bandits aren’t as fanatically close-mouthed. The bandits reveal that they signed on with the “mercenaries” at Rivergard Keep and now work for Jolliver Grimjaw. They can tell the characters how to find the keep. Fiery Fangs The fire cult is less concerned with maintaining appearances than the other elemental cults. When Vanifer or her lieutenants receive word that a band of adventurers is trying to ferret out the cult, they send a pack of three hell hounds after the party. The hounds need only get the scent of the characters through spilled blood or discarded items. This encounter can take place wherever the characters are at the time, whether traveling between sites or ostensibly safe at an inn. If the characters encounter the hell hounds in the wilderness, the hounds appear a short distance behind the characters, following their tracks and baying with eagerness. If the characters are resting at an inn, they’re interrupted by screaming and barking coming from the inn’s common room, where the pack breaks through windows and terrifies the staff. (It’s all the better if the characters are eating a meal there themselves). The monsters single-mindedly pursue the characters and fight until one is killed and a second is reduced to fewer than half its hit points, whereupon the surviving hounds flee. A mysterious bowl-like symbol (the symbol of the fire cult) marks the iron collars of the hell hounds. Thorsk Thelorn in Red Larch can connect the symbol to a mysterious gathering of druids in the Sumber Hills he heard about from a passing merchant and provide directions to Scarlet Moon Hall.
F e a th e r g a le S p ire In the Sighing Valley stands Feathergale Spire, the Haunted Keep inhabited by the Feathergale Society, Waterdhavian aerial-mount enthusiasts who have pretensions of nobility. They call themselves Feathergale Knights. Secretly, the knights are dedicated to Yan-C-Bin. They occupied the keep when the air cult established itself in the dwarven ruins beneath the Sumber Hills. The knights serve the cult as lookouts, messengers, spies, and a first line of defense. Spire A pproach When the characters visit the area, use the unique environment and its weather to add atmosphere. During the day, azure sky encompasses the tower and gusty winds buffet it from all sides. The wind sighs through rock formations in the canyon. At night, the wind calms to a breeze, and light fog settles over the canyon. The spire then appears to float among the stars on a sea of clouds. The summits of the hills rise above the fog like islands in that sea. You can initially describe the keep as follows: Feathergale Spire rises from a pillar of rock high into the air, the tallest point for miles. Built from white limestone and embellished in marble, the spire resembles a gleaming sword that pierces the sky. The gatehouse faces the opposite cliff, its drawbridge the only apparent point of entry. Tall, wide windows encompass the bottom level of the tower, absent only upon the gatehouse side. A circle of open stalls rings the tower’s foundation where it meets the rock. Above each stall, the sculpture of a hippogriff in flight leaps from the tower’s base. Beneath Feathergale Spire to the east, a wide gusty canyon yawns through the hills. A steep trail leads to the drawbridge over Feathergale Moat and to the keep’s main entrance (area S2). Characters who approach along the floor of the canyon (the Sighing Valley, described later in this chapter) can scale the stone pillar on which the spire stands. It is 400 feet from the pillar’s base to the lowest level of the spire (area S1), and each level of the spire is 20 feet higher than the level below it. Flying characters can enter the spire from the pinnacle or through one of the windows in the courtyard gardens. Two Feathergale knights (see chapter 7) patrol the pinnacle (area S11) at all times, taking flight on giant vultures to meet attackers. One knight is stationed in the front hall (area S2) with two Howling Hatred initiates (see chapter 7). In daylight, the pinnacle knights have an excellent vantage point. They are likely to know of the characters’ approach long before the party arrives. The knights’ reaction depends on how the party chooses to enter the spire. Peaceful visitors who approach openly are welcome. Those who sneak in or assault the spire meet the full defenses of the keep. Spire F e a tu re s The refurbished spire has the following features. Any exceptions are noted in areas to which they apply. Ceilings. Ceilings are 18 feet high. Defenders. The spire is described as it is when the characters arrive. At that time, four Feathergale Knights and their giant vulture mounts are away until that evening’s feast (see the “Knight’s Quest” section). Doors. Interior doors are made of wood banded with iron. Most have no locks but can be barred. It takes a successful DC 20 Strength check to break open a barred door. Floors. All floors are made of white stone. Light. Due to its many windows, Feathergale Spire is brightly lit during the day and dimly lit at night. With the reinforced shutters closed, the light becomes dim during the day and dark at night. Locks. Any locks require thieves’ tools and a successful DC 15 Dexterity check to open. Treasure. Feathergale Knights keep their wealth locked in chests in their cells. Each knight also has 2d10 gp in mixed coinage and minor valuables. Windows. Oversized windows on the ground level allow light and air to pass easily into the tower. They stand 3 feet from the ground and are 6 feet tall and 8 feet wide. Smaller windows, about half the size of the larger ones, are on levels 2 and 3. Shutters reinforced with iron bands permit the windows to be shut and barred. A barred window is like a barred door. F eathergale M oat A gap of twenty feet separates the ledge where the path ends from the closed drawbridge on Feathergale Spire. The space between the cliff’s edge and the gatehouse drops several hundred feet to the bottom of the canyon. Near the ledge, a brass bell hangs from a wooden post. At the bell’s ring, a female human Feathergale knight (see chapter 7) named Savra Belabranta opens a small window near the gate, welcomes the characters, and courteously asks what brings them here. Savra lowers the drawbridge to allow friendly visitors entry. If the characters accompany her, go to the “Knights’ Quest” section. S1. S t a b le L e v e l A circular landing surrounds the central shaft of a spiral staircase. The landing is piled with supplies and bales of straw. Radiating from the landing are twelve stalls with straw-covered floors. A harness, riding crop, and saddle hang in each stall. Swinging wooden doors cap either end of each stall, one leading from the tower to the stall and the other from the stall to the open air.
The round room in the center of the spire serves as a storeroom. It is filled with supplies. Any gear from the Player's Handbook you want the characters to have can be found here. The knights are willing to sell items at a ten percent markup. When the characters arrive, four hippogriffs and two giant vultures occupy the stables, each in its own stall, and one Feathergale knight (see chapter 7) stands watch and tends the creatures. The hippogriffs and vultures are aggressive toward strangers that enter their stalls unless a knight introduces the newcomers. Knight disguises can fool the creatures, but only at a distance. The latches on the stall doors are fastened at multiple points on each door, so it takes two actions to open each door. S2. F r o n t H a l l The entrance is a thirty-foot-long hall of white stone. At the opposite end of the hall are two twelve-foot-tall doors like those of the entry gate. An eagle carved from a massive timber hangs from the far side of the ceiling, suspended on strong chains. Slender wings of steel sweep close to its sides. Its head is also fashioned of steel. One Feathergale knight (Savra when the characters first arrive) and two Howling Hatred initiates keep watch in the entry hall. See chapter 7 for their statistics. Friendly Entry. If Savra has allowed the characters in, she tells the characters that they have excellent timing. She invites them to join the knights’ feast this evening, commemorating the tenth year of the Feathergale Society. Savra leads the party through the tower to meet her captain, Thurl Merosska, in area S11. The Eagle. The eagle is a battering ram. If released using a lever near the doors to area S4, the ram attacks an area that starts at the doors to area S4, extending 30 feet along a 5-foot-wide path in the center of the hall. Each creature in this area must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or take 3d6 bludgeoning damage. Those who fail the save by 5 or more are swept along with the ram, pushed out of the hall onto the drawbridge, and knocked prone. The eagle resets when it swings back, locking back into place and resetting its activation lever. S3. W eapons L o c k e r The Feathergale knights stow weapons and armor here under lock and key. The weapon racks currently hold four longswords, four suits of scale mail, four shields, four helmets, four longbows, and four quivers of twenty arrows each. S4. C e n tr a l S ta irs A single spiral stair runs through the tower’s center, with landings at each floor. The stairs have a handrail along the outer edge. S 5. I n itia te D o rm ito ry Howling Hatred initiates, priests, hurricanes, and Skyweavers sleep in this room on four double bunks. Most cultists spend their days in other parts of the spire.
S6. K itc h e n In this kitchen, sacks are heaped along the walls, and a small pile of vegetables is spread on a table. A huge, steaming cauldron stands at the center. Two wooden paddles and two knives hang on a rack next to a brick oven. Four wall shelves hold a dozen loaves of bread. Four Howling Hatred initiates (see chapter 7) stand around the cauldron inhaling the steam wafting from it. The initiates are trying to “inhale—and become—the steam.” These cultists also serve as kitchen staff. S 7. S o la r iu m A bright room occupies the east quarter of this floor. Flowers and shrubs of many varieties grow in a labyrinth of planters. Spidery red and purple plants grow suspended in baskets in mid-air. Robed humans water the plants. Three Howling Hatred initiates and one hurricane (see chapter 7 for both) tend to the plants, contemplate philosophy, or train in this room.. Several barrels of fresh water are located around the perimeter of the room. S8. G re a t H a ll This great hall spans half the diameter of the tower. Between the overlarge windows, tapestries depict scenes of gallant knights on flying hippogriffs, fighting dragons and jousting with one another among the clouds. High on the walls are the mounted heads of griffons, wyverns, owlbears, and manticores. A long, curved table set for a feast stretches between the hall’s twin hearths. When the characters first arrive, two Feathergale knights (see chapter 7) who aren’t occupied with other duties or rest are found here. At night, the tower’s servants sleep here after the knights have retired for the evening. S 9. K n i g h t s ’ C e l l s This chamber contains two beds, a fireplace, a closet, two chests, and a small tapestry on the wall. Each knight’s chest contains valuables worth d100 gp, and a feathered cloak. S 10. M e r o s s k a ’s A p a r tm e n t This chamber contains a bed, a fireplace, a closet, a writing desk, a chest, and a small tapestry on the wall. On the desk, in a cylindrical leather case, is a letter to Thurl Merosska from Aerisi Kalinoth, written by her minstrel Windharrow. It reads as follows: Merosska, We are pleased to hear about the outcome of your altercation with the Black Earth cult, and we praise you for the capture of one of their prisoners. This noblewoman from Waterdeep has an interesting tale to tell, and we shall enjoy interrogating her further. Keep a close watch on the Sacred Stone Monastery. I want to know what our enemy is planning next. Your beloved queen, Aerisi Kalinoth Treasure In addition to clothing and personal effects, the chest contains 320 gp in a sack, a potion of heroism, a scroll of beast bond, and a scroll of skywrite (see appendix B for descriptions of both spells). S11. P i n n a c l e At the apex of the tower, the stairs terminate at a round stone gazebo that continues upward in a needle-like minaret. Beyond this enclosure, a small lawn grows upon the top of the tower. Four paths paved with white stones point the directions of the compass, each path ending in a pointed stone crenellation. At the pinnacle’s edge is a spyglass on a tripod, pointed downward. From this vantage point, the Feathergale Knights possess a supreme view of all that transpires in the nearby canyon and the Sumber Hills beyond. Two Feathergale knights (see chapter 7) and their giant vultures are stationed here. Every hour, one of them patrols the air around the spire. The other patrols the tower. They watch for danger and fellow knights sent on errands. When the characters first arrive at the spire, Thurl Merosska (see chapter 7) is here as well, gazing west toward Red Larch. Shrine to Elemental Evil. Here in the high open air, the cultists gather to worship Yan-C-Bin. They sacrifice their enemies, first marking them with the sign of YanC-Bin and then throwing them off the pinnacle. In the Sighing Valley, area C2, scavengers swiftly remove evidence of the knights’ dark deeds. Spyglass. Those who gaze through the spyglass without moving it first see a hooded figure enter the concealed door in Knifepoint Gully (area C3).
K n i g h t s ’ Q u e s t Savra Belabranta escorts the characters through the spire and up to the pinnacle where Thurl Merosska surveys the territory. Briefly describe any other rooms or inhabitants of the tower the characters observe on their ascent. When the characters reach the pinnacle, read the following text: The commander of the Feathergale Knights is a well-built male human in his early fifties. Embossed feather patterns ornament the plates of his armor, and his kingly cloak boasts a feathered mantle. He smooths his white-blond hair into place, then bows low before you as if he were only a lowly courtier. “Welcome to Feathergale Spire, retreat of the Feathergale Society. I am Thurl Merosska, the lord commander.” Thurl Merosska offers the hospitality of the tower, inviting the characters to a feast in honor of the society’s tenth year. Merosska especially shows favor to nobles, knights, members of the Lords’ Alliance, and members of the Order of the Gauntlet. If the characters wish to interview Merosska now, they can do so. He might answer questions on the following topics: • The Feathergale Society, an “elite” group of aerialmount enthusiasts from Waterdeep • The origins of Feathergale Spire (see chapter 2) • Doing one’s duty for the realm • Hunting and hawking • Hippogriffs, giant vultures, and other aerial mounts If the characters mention elemental cults, read the following text: Thurl’s face darkens. “Great evil lurks among these hills,” he says. “Depraved cultists led by wretched monsters. But let us speak of such matters after the feast has warmed our blood.” Thurl allows the characters to rest in the tower until it is time to begin the feast. If the characters join the feast, read the following text: Clad in the finest garments of velvet brocade, the knights feast at a curved table in the great hall, where twin hearths blaze. Thurl Merosska sits at the head of the table. “Honored guests,” he says. “Tell us of your adventures in the Sumber Hills. Let us aid you in any way we can.” The knights use the feast to learn about the characters and how much they know about the elemental cults. Applauding bravery and offering toasts, the knights listen to the characters’ stories and share anecdotes. When you decide it’s time, read the following: The doors to the great hall fly open and a sentry from the pinnacle shouts, “Manticore! It’s on the move!” At this announcement the Feathergale Knights rise as one, the feast before them unfinished. “We should take this opportunity to slay the monster,” Thurl says. From his finger he removes a feather-patterned golden ring set with a garnet and holds it aloft, saying, “A prize for the one who brings me the beast’s head!” Merosska asks the characters to join four of his knights in the manticore hunt. He offers to lend them hippogriffs for the task. If the characters agree, go to the “Manticore Hunt” section. Those who decline the invitation can stay at Feathergale Spire and rest, or explore the tower. Treasure Thurl’s ring is worth 250 gp. Thurl also carries 3d10 gp and 2d6 pp in a pouch. The manticore hunt takes place in the skies above the Sighing Valley (see the accompanying map). Visibility Vision is limited to 100 feet within the canyon because of the fog and night sky. The manticore, hippogriffs, and giant vultures know the canyon well enough to avoid running into the cliffs. Hunting the M anticore The knights ride giant vultures and stay together as a group. Characters can join the knights’ group, form their own group, or split up into multiple groups. A character or knight who moves more than 100 feet away from the rest of his or her group becomes a separate group. Finding the Manticore. At the end of each minute spent searching for the manticore, have each group of hunters in the canyon roll a d20, adding 1 for each character or knight in the group. Any group that rolls a total of 18 or higher comes within 100 feet of the manticore. Any and all groups that find the manticore can engage it in battle. If the knights find the manticore first, they blow their horns so that other groups can pinpoint the knights’ location and join the battle in 1d6 rounds. Battling the Manticore. The giant vultures and hippogriffs are faster fliers than the manticore, and the manticore knows it. Once it is found, the manticore fights until it has no targets to attack, using its action M anticore H u n t Four Feathergale Knights join the characters on the hunt. To start, read the following text: Four Feathergale Knights assemble at the pinnacle, each mounted upon a giant vulture. The moon illuminates the misty canyon below Feathergale Spire. In the far distance, a single shard of darkness moves, flitting in and out of the mist. Then the shadow sinks beneath the bank of clouds, lost again from sight.
