Spring Shoot Inn

Small inn on the way to the sword coast mostly frequented by halflings/gnomes etc.
On the way to the sword coast, fairly small

Characters
Vexra and Parvus have been staying at the inn for a few days looking for odd jobs to build
funds before moving on.
They have met and had chats about experiences and brief talks on past.
They promised that if they heard of a larger job they would inform the other. They have
taken small jobs eliminating pests and manual labour so far.

Third Night at Inn

Dwarf slams 10gp into Parvus' hand for elminating a rat nest in his barn. DC 15 check for 10
more.
Vexra sits at a table writing in a small journal. Parvus notices her.
A small halfling enters from upstairs and speaks to dwarf barwoman, points at characters
Curly brown hair
Purple robes
She does not approach them but sits at a table and pulls out a number of heavy books
If the characters do not approach her the barwoman tells them that nervous halfling was
asking after adventurers

Professor Winsome Landy

AC 10 HP 6 Speed 30ft
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)
Passive Perception 10 Languages Common
Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4)
bludgeoning damage.

The Quest
Winsome is engrossed in her work and is easily distracted during conversation
Very naive
Archaeologist working with a team ruins that belonged to ancient Elven death cult
Prefers book work to field. Colleagues asked her to stay in town to organise supplies and do
research.
She has recently recieved a note asking her to send an escort up to the ruins (DC 10 check
reveals she recieved it days ago but is nervous about going so has put it off)
They have found something interesting and need help bringing it back. They need to meet a
member of the team at the Havels Cross Inn (3 days away).
She offer 500gp outright and has no more to offer.
She has no idea what they found. Unlikely to be gold/jewels.
 The team consists of two Elves - Calador and Skein a human called Tanlik, a Gnome
called Quinn and a Dwarven bodyguard called Beric. They have been working together
for about three years.
Its a fairly dangerous area,with Goblins and wolf packs prowling about. Shatterbone can
keep the team safe, but the request for escorts isnt too surprising if theyre found
something interesting.
The early research suggests that the cult was centered around death and rebirth, but may
have strayed into the use of dark necromantic magic.

Havel's Cross Inn

As you journey the scenery around you becomes wilder. Farmland and meadows give
way to thick tangled forests and stretches of open moor. After a morning spent trudging
up a muddy road Landy eventually declares that the inn is just around the next bend.
With thoughts of a warm fire and dry clothes spurring you on you all put in a final push
and hurry up the slope, but as soon as the inn comes into view its clear that something is
horribly wrong.
At a glance it would have been easy to mistake the threestory building for a small
fortress, with narrow slits for windows and tough-looking stone walls. The oaken door at
the front of the building is thick and sturdy-looking, but has been thrown wide open and
swings gently in the breeze. The slumped form of a dead horse lays in the road and where
the stables would have once stood there is only a smouldering pile ofcharred wood and
bones.

Landy hides in the bushes.

Outside
Partially eaten dead horse lies in the mud. (DC12 Medicine shows it was not wolves/dogs
but something human-like. Signs of deep claw marks)
Only entrance is the thick wooden door that is open.
Narrow window provide a view of the main room.
(DC10 Perception) Goblin voices
Inside is carnage. Dozens of mutilated/eaten corpses, overturned tables. Beer and blood
splattered. Everything is trashed.
Six goblins and a hobgoblin (larger, orange) are inside. Hogoblin is prizing open a lockbox
in middle using a rusted crowbar.
Goblin Fight

Attack on sight. Some charge, others take cover.

Goblin
AC 15 HP 7 Speed 30ft
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
8 (-1) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 8 (-1) 8 (-1)
Passive Perception 9 Languages Common
The goblin can take the Disengage or Hide Darkvision
action as a bonus action on each of its turns.
Scimitar +4 to hit 1D6 +2 slashing
Shortbow +4 to hit 1D6 + 2 piercing

Krax (Hobgoblin)
AC 18 (Chain) HP 11 Speed 30ft
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
13 (+1) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 9 (-1)
Passive Perception 10 Languages Common
Martial Advantage. Once per turn, can deal an Darkvision
extra 2d6 to creature it hits with attack if
creature within 5 feet ally of hobgoblin and isnt
incapacitated.
Longsword +3 to hit, reach 5 ft (1d8 + 1) slashing damage,
or 6 (1d10 + 1) if used with two hands.
Longbow. +3 to hit (1d8 + 1) piercing damage.

Once all goblins but Krax are slain he surrenders.

Everyone was already dead. They were looting. Raiders.
Doesn't know what happened. Only arrived a while ago.
Hopes he never meets who is responsible.
Seen scholars in the hills but didn't seem worth the effort.
Krax will leave peacefully if allowed.
Inside the inn
12 bodies in the inn. 7 humans, 3 halflings and 3 dwarves. Checks:
Medicine (DC12) Bites from human sized. Claw slashes.
Nature (DC15) Attackers are ghouls
Investigation (DC12) Body by door killed by a blow to head. Four pools of blood with
no bodies.
Survival (DC10) Follow tracks of drag marks, Going up hill.
Loot
Lockbox (DC13 Str/Athletics or Dex/Thieves Tools) Adv. With crowbar or Key on
innkeeper 120gp
Food/basic supplies in storeroom
Bodies 10gp 14sp Landy horrified

Landy will insist on leaving as soon as possible and leads adventurers up hill.

Dig Site
A shaking Landy guides you along a damp trail marked by
broken twigs and crushed grass. It snakes its way through
trees that rustle and moan in the bitterly cold wind, but after
an hour or so of climbing up into the hills you spot a break in
the foliage that opens into a wide clearing.

The grass is matted with tangled weeds and criss-crossed

by shallow trenches carefully cut into the earth. In the centre of
the clearing squats a low building made of grey stone that has
been smoothed by countless centuries of wind and rain. Steps
lead up to an arched doorway with a strange circular symbol
carved into it, but the room beyond appears to be in total
darkness. A mixture of worry and confusion flashes across
Landys face.

They always kept the lamps in the main chamber lit

Something must have happened to them!

With that, the Halfling breaks into a run, heading straight for
the door to the old temple.
Outside
Catching Landy is easy
Various trenches outside between 1-5ft deep. Landy says they were searching for artifacts.
Symbol above door with crack
Two windows 8ft either side of door big enough for small creature on right and left walls.
Checks
Survival (DC 13) - Shows blood/tracks up into main door.
Religion (DC 15) Symbol is the 'Ouroborus'. Many religions use it for death and rebirth.
Inside the temple
Inside the temple is a long, gloomy room. There are rows of
columns to your left and right, but the only furniture seems to
be a circular stone altar that lies just in front of the far wall,
which is topped with a small wooden box, and a handful of
crates over in one corner. Two arches appear to lead offto dark
side-chambers.

As soon as you enter you notice two things. The first is the
stench ofdeath and blood which hangs in the air as thickly as
the fog outside. The second is the wet sound of biting and
chewing, which seems to be coming from the chamber offto the
left

A Life Chamber B Birth Chamber C Death Chamber

Crates Basic supplies/oil/blankets Small room lit by shafts ofSingle gnome Ghoul (Quinn) gnawing
light from high windows. bones.
Blood spatters the floor 3 trails, one to Tiles show nuts and seeds, Bones/skulls make a maze on the ceiling.
each door and one that goes towards altar babies, calves chicks etc. Wilted roses with withered thorns tile the
walls.
Altar 2 Ghouls eating a human Sleeping quaters bedrolls, cooking equip,
Circular, well worn stone, three evenly- woman wearing chainmail chest 50gp. DC14 perception check Potion
spaced hollows. (bard) of Healing.
Bone white paper on floor. DC 14 Per -
Engraving DC 10 Elvish Ghouls Examine - Landy ...found a bowl in trench eight this
Elvish on the rim '...and what lives will knows the elf as Skein and morning, this time made of what we think to
die and what dies will be reborn and what the human as Tanlik. be onyx. It matches the shape of the two we
is reborn will live and...' already uncovered and has similar
DC10 Stealth to sneak attack engravings. To be honest its all a bit
On floor are 3 bowls otherwise attack if cryptic, but Calador says he thinks they are
approached or loud noise. the key to unlocking the secrets of this old
place. Old Shatterbone isnt too happy about
it, but then again he nev
Ghoul Fight

Ghoul
AC 12 HP 22 Speed 30ft
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
13 (+1) 15 (+2) 10 (+0) 7 (-2) 10 (+0) 6 (-2)
Passive Perception 10 Languages Common
Damage Immunities: poison Darkvision
Conditions: charmed, exhaustion, poisoned
Bite +2 to hit (2d6 + 2) piercing damage.
Claw +4 to hit (2d4 + 2) slashing damage.
If target is creature other than elf or undead DC
10 Con save or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The
target can repeat the saving throw at the end of
each of its turns.

Altar Puzzle
Bowls One gold, one iron, one onyx
Small wooden box on top of the altar, random items 6 eggs, blood stained knife, mortar
and pestle, chicken bones tied with string.
Blood ends neatly at wall not splashed on wall. Investigation (DC12) secret door. (DC14)
Perception tiny hairline crack down the middle of the wall.
Bowls need to placed in holes each hole has an engraving
Golden bowl The essence of Birth Broken Egg
Iron bowl The essence of Life Blood
Obsidian bowl The essence of Death Ground bone
If struggling make a (DC12) investigation to find small fragments in each bowl
When done the wall cracks and slides inwards to reveal a staircase
The Bone Chamber
Shallow steps descend into the earth, wending
down a passage coated with ancient spider webs
and damp moss. In the depths you can see the faint
flickering light of a torch shine through a doorway,
and even from the top of the passageway you have
to fight off the urge to retch as the stink of rotting
flesh rolls over you.

All concentration checks are at disadvantage whilst the smell is in effect

Open doorway leads toa large low ceilinged vault

Much rougher, rocky/dirt floor. Yellowing ancient bones. Flimsy pillars.
Primitive paintings showing humanoids killing with claws and bites.
Overturned chairs scattered around a larger altar
On top of alat is a dessicated humanoid
Two on the right wall worse condition
Lying in front of doorway is a dwarf, red hair, stone hand, bald head with gash in it
Sobbing coming from bahind the altar

Caldor
Caldor is hiding behind the altar.
When found he will stand.
He has long black hair down to his shoulders, sharp pointed features.
He is caked in blood and dirt
He is clutching a perfectly white femur (Medicine DC12)
Caldor will sob and wail and thank adventurers for finding him.
He will hug Landy
He says that they uncovered the chamber days ago and that the bone lay on the altar
seemingly an object of worship. It is important.
After this his colleagues started acting strangely
Beric attacked him but he managed to fight him off hitting him with the bone
Rest of team turned into monsters so he sealed himself in
Story holes
Fresh bodies in vault
Perception (DC13) Blood around mouth and teeth
 Caldor
AC 12 (15 mage armour) HP 37 Speed 35ft
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 18 (+4) 9 (-1) 11 (+0)
Passive Perception 9 Languages Common, Elvish
Conditions: Charmed (adv), sleep (magic) Darkvision
Bone (4d6) on next turn after down
Magic - DC 14 +6 to hit Cantrips (at will): Fire Bolt 1d10
1st (3 slots): Mage Armor, Magic Missile 1d4+1,
Shield
2nd (1 slots): Misty Step, Suggestion (WIS)
Bone +6 to hit (1d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
Mind Rend (Recharge 5-6): A wave of madness flows out
from the Bone. All creatures within 15 ft. must
make a DC 14 Charisma save or take (2d6)
psychic damage.
Create Ghoul (once per day)

Ghoul
AC 12 HP 22 Speed 30ft
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
13 (+1) 15 (+2) 10 (+0) 7 (-2) 10 (+0) 6 (-2)
Passive Perception 10 Languages Common
Damage Immunities: poison Darkvision
Conditions: charmed, exhaustion, poisoned
Bite +2 to hit (2d6 + 2) piercing damage.
Claw +4 to hit (2d4 + 2) slashing damage.
If target is creature other than elf or undead DC
10 Con save or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The
target can repeat the saving throw at the end of
each of its turns.

Bone
AC 10 HP 14
Resist Piercing
Immune Psychic, Poison
Weak - Buldgeon, Radiant