Art By Ryan Yee

The first part of the series, Introduction, can work as a

Introduction
This is a fan-made adventure module using the D&D 5e
handout to give to players whose characters are native
to Innistrad, as it contains mostly general knowledge –
system. All resources for running this adventure can be though you may omit bits of information at your discretion.
found here. All illustrations and names used from Magic:
The Gathering, along with all D&D terms and rules, are Players may have access to additional information based
properties of Wizards of the Coast. This is only a fan on which of the four provinces their characters hail from
creation, not in any way made for sale. (if any). If a character lives in Kessig, you may want to
Download the basic rules for FREE at here! give that player access to some of the information in A
Planeswalker’s Guide to Innistrad: Kessig as well, but
Innistrad is a setting steeped in gothic horror themes double check to see if there’s any information you as the
and makes liberal use of horror tropes. Werewolves hunt DM would rather withhold. You’ll likely want to omit the
within the forests, vengeful spirits haunt the places of section about werewolves, as such information probably
their grisly deaths, hedonistic vampires feast on humans isn’t known by average folk, and even some parts may be
at their leisure, and Frankenstein-like mad scientists a mystery to werewolves themselves.
create abominations stitched together from corpses. All Characters that aren’t locals may also discover
these classic horror stories are merged together to create information about places and people with appropriate
a unified campaign setting that is much more than the Intelligence checks, such as Intelligence (Religion) to recall
sum of its parts, an amazing and compelling backdrop for lore about the Church of Avacyn, or Intelligence (Nature)
epic storytelling. to recall lore about the basic geography of Stensia.

Learning About Innistrad

The vast majority of Innistrad’s backstory can be found
in the A Planeswalker’s Guide to Innistrad series on
Wizards’ official site. The entire series does a great job
summarizing everything you, the DM, need to know about
the setting. Read it over once and then have it open for
reference when running a game and you’ll be set.

1
Introduction
Art by Steve Prescott

province Nephalia, to earn coin from their respective

trades. Bards travel from town to town as entertainers
while Rogues often use their talents in criminal
activities.
• Wizards pursue academic interests and are often well-
respected scholars, astronomers, and alchemists. In
the pursuit of knowledge, some require isolation in
a quiet village or off somewhere on their own, while
others seek colleagues in Nephalia’s larger towns to
combine research
• Barbarians often come from the province Kessig, a
reflection of the untamed spirit of the land and its
people. Some scholars point out similarities between
a barbarian’s rage and the ferocity of werewolves.
• Fighters come from all walks of life. These disciplined
martial masters are often hired muscle for a wide
variety of tasks, or do the work of the Avacyn Church
as cathars, the militia of the Church.
• Sorcerers seem to manifest their powers out of
nowhere, though there are rumors of the magic
coming from their blood, or being permanently
changed after exposure to raw magic.
• Warlocks can be anyone willing to make the taboo pact
for power: Skirsdag cultists gladly enter them with the
fiends they worship, those in touch with nature make
pacts with the powerful fey spirits living in the forests,
and most rare are the mad few that acquire a dark
patron from beyond Innistrad itself. Warlocks must
keep their pacts a secret or else face persecution,
Adapting Innistrad to D&D especially from the Church of Avacyn.
Innistrad is very compatible as a D&D setting. Almost • Monks are a little tougher to fit, but it wouldn’t be a
everything in the setting functions well under the D&D huge stretch to say that perhaps most are trained as
system. cathars for the Avacyn Church or are brought up in
remote villages.
Classes
The classes present in the Player’s Handbook not only Races
fit seamlessly into the setting, nearly all of them are One issue that you must decide upon is what races to
explicitly mentioned in the official lore: allow from the Player’s Handbook as natives of Innistrad.
• Paladins and Clerics would be exemplary soldiers and The official lore seems to indicate that elves have gone
leaders within the Church of Avacyn, blessed with the extinct long ago, and that other fantasy staple races like
capability to wield the Light and spread the Church’s dwarves and halflings do not exist in this world.
influence to the most dangerous corners of the world. There are a few ways to interpret the absence of non-
They would most likely start their careers in Thraben, human races. The most straightforward option would be
the seat of the Church. to only allow human characters as natives of Innistrad. If
• Rangers and Druids are both tied to the forests that you choose this option, it’s strongly recommended that
cover most of Innistrad. Rangers are often hunters you let the players use the Player’s Guide to Innistrad:
and wilderness guides, while Druids act as curators Human Variants by redditor /u/Nihilates; the guide
of the forests and mediators of ancient forest spirits. allows for mechanical variety within the human race and
Both tap into the ancient, primal powers of nature serves as a wonderful primer for players to learn about the
that have been forgotten by most folk since the rise of province that their character hails from.
the Avacyn Church. Another option would be to treat non-human natives
• Bards and Rogues are drawn to more densely as exceptionally rare: elves live in small communities deep
populated cities, such as the ones found in the

2
Introduction
within forests, using cunning magics to keep themselves universe, just plop it into the Material Plane as its own
isolated from the outside world. Tieflings could be the world, like Forgotten Realms and Greyhawk are. Visitation
result of sadistic experiments carried out by the demon- from outsiders would still be rare (much like the odd
worshipping Skirsdag cultists – in fact, there is at least planeswalker visit) but it would allow outsider PCs with
one official human/devil hybrid in the lore already: the different races/religions to enter the land with the help of
planeswalker Tibalt. With a little bit of creativity you can a portal or some advanced magic.
fit any PHB race into Innistrad, but any non-human would If we go a little further with this idea, the gothic horror
certainly be a shock to the human locals they come across. doom and gloom that pervades all of Innistrad could be
the influence of the Shadowfell; perhaps that shadowy
plane has an unusually strong presence/overlap on this
Religions world. That’s why the sun shines dimmer, the spirits of
Another possible issue is what religions to allow. The
the dead are more restless, and everything is all-around
majority of Innistrad’s citizens worship the angel Avacyn,
dark and sinister compared to other worlds in the Material
while minor sects pray to demons, and others give
Plane.
homage to woodland spirits. Do the natives of Innistrad
have knowledge of other gods such as Bahamut and
Pelor? Again, it’s up to you, the DM, to figure out what to The Truth About The Moon
allow in your version of Innistrad. Just remember there’s Let’s take things one step further. What if this strong tie to
always a solution. the Shadowfell came from a specific source? A source that
is tied to many of Innistrad’s supernatural happenings,
dampening protective wards and empowering both
Innistrad in the D&D werewolves and vampires? Yes, Innistrad’s link to the
Shadowfell is the moon.
Universe The Innistrad moon is a massive portal to the Shadowfell
In the universe of Magic: The Gathering, Innistrad is its plane. No one remembers what sinister entity constructed
own separate plane, and the only known outsiders are this link between planes, but the world of Innistrad was
planeswalkers. If you wish to bring Innistrad into the D&D set to be consumed utterly by the Shadowfell. The deity

Art by Ryan Yee 3

Art by Ryan Yee
that saved Innistrad from being swallowed up by the desired difficulty.
Shadowfell has similarly been lost to history. For example, 3 zombies (MM p316) are a Hard challenge
This god could not close the immense portal, but for four level 1 PCs. If you have five level 1 PCs instead, that
managed to block off and imprison the portal at the cost same encounter becomes a Medium challenge. You can
of the deity’s life. The god’s corpse engulfs the portal as bump the difficulty back to Hard by adding an additional
a massive desert of silver. The barrier of silver stops the zombie to the encounter.
Shadowfell from consuming the world, but does not block With your handy online encounter builder, tuning
its influence entirely. You can see an imprint of the long- combat difficulty to your personal playgroup is a quick
forgotten god on the moon to this day – it’s the heron on and painless process.
the moon’s surface.
This explains the seemingly paradoxical nature of
Innistrad’s moon: the portal to the Shadowfell inside of Adventure Background
the moon empowers evil creatures, while the outside
surface of silver empowers good. A full moon is when the
portal to the Shadowfell is largest and is consequently
when werewolves are strongest, yet blessed silver from
Humanity’s Peril
The archangel Avacyn, the central figure of the Church
the moon is the most effective at defeating them.
of Avacyn and the main conduit of holy magic on the
plane, hasn’t been seen over the last few seasons, and her
Running The Adventure absence shows. Since Avacyn has disappeared, prayers
have not spared remote villages from werewolf attacks as
Army of the Damned is an adventure for four characters
they once did. Holy symbols have not stopped vampires
of 1st level. During the course of the adventure, the
from preying on travelers in the high mountain passes.
characters will advance to 5th level. You can keep track
The dead are not protected from tampering by ghoulcallers
of experience by writing down the experience gained per
and flesh-animating alchemists called skaberen. With the
event, which is provided by the module. Alternatively, you
power of holy magic waning, humanity is being pushed
can choose the milestone experience system and level up
into a corner by an encroaching darkness that threatens
when the adventure calls for it.
to consume them.
To properly run this adventure, you will need Monster
Only a select few elders in the Church, including
Manual for D&D 5e. The combat statistics of monsters
Mikaeus, the ruling Lunarch, know what has happened
and NPCs in this adventure will be cited to the appropriate
to Avacyn; the archangel is trapped within the Helvault
page. For example, Jeleva is a vampire spellcaster (MM
after a desperate struggle with the demon Griselbrand. To
p298), which means you will find her combat statistics in
save Avacyn (if she is even alive) would require shattering
Monster Manual page 298. New monsters will have their
the Helvault and releasing hundreds of years’ worth of
statistics provided in APPENDIX B.
captured demons imprisoned within the silver prison with
Similarly, magic items found over the course of this
her, a risky move that may doom the plane utterly.
adventure will have their page in the Dungeon Master’s
Guide cited. New items will have their statistics provided
in APPENDIX A. One Hope
The aforementioned Planeswalker’s Guide to Innistrad Mikaeus and a handful of his most trusted advisors
should be read to get a feel for the adventure’s setting. hatched a desperate plan: they believe that an artifact in the
All other information will be provided here in the module. Church’s possession, a mystical tuning fork, holds the key
to retrieving Avacyn from the Helvault without releasing
the demons trapped with her. Not understanding how
Adjusting Difficulty to wield the artifact themselves, the elders have secretly
The combat events are tuned for four characters of the delivered the fork to a musical prodigy in Stensia named
appropriate level (starting at level 1), following the combat Katarina Brunn, hoping her talents can unlock its power
difficulty guide outlined in Dungeon Master’s Guide. while the Church tries to maintain order in the world.
If for any reason you wish to strengthen/weaken the Mikaeus knows that the secret demon-worshiping cult,
combat encounters, it’s highly recommended that you the Skirsdag, have human members embedded within
use an encounter builder such as Kobold Fight Club. Thraben in all levels of the church, nobility, and the trades;
These builders use the calculations outlined in Dungeon the Lunarch believed it would be safer if Katarina studied
Master’s Guide and will help you adjust the difficulty the artifact in her home town of Shadowgrange, far away
of combat by adding/removing monsters to reach the from the Skirsdag’s influence. The province of Stensia has

4
Introduction
plenty of its own dangers, however. people have been conditioned for generations to do
nothing about it.
There were murmurs of change in the past few years,
Voldaren’s Lesson however. Katarina and her fiancee, an alchemist named
Katarina Brunn led the local militia of Shadowgrange,
Siegfried, led a movement to defend themselves from the
having trained as a paladin in her youth, even joining the
vampires and other horrors in the night. They bolstered
ranks of the Riders of Gavony for a time. As impressive
the town’s defenses and tried to convince the villagers
as her martial and leadership abilities were, it was her
to fight. For a while, their efforts were successful – until
reputation of being a musical prodigy that made the
Avacyn disappeared, and the holy wards around the village
Acacynian Church elders decide to select her to unlock
began to falter.
the mysteries of the tuning fork artifact. Indeed, she was
Two months ago, while Katarina was deep in her
making great progress into figuring out the artifact.
experiments with the artifact, vampires from Voldaren
Shadowgrange is one of the bleakest places in all
Manor entered the village. The vampires were preparing to
of Innistrad. Aside from their own local members, the
celebrate the disturbing three-day holiday called Court of
people are isolated from the Church of Avacyn’s influence.
the Vampire Queen, and came to collect their unfortunate
Shadowgrange is situated deep in the heart of Stensia,
“Queen” – Katarina, the troublemaker. Katarina, Ralph,
surrounded by vampire estates that view humans as
and Siegfried fought the vampires alone. The trio pleaded
cattle, and is mostly cut off from the outside world. The
and begged with the villagers to help, but their friends and
villagers are fiercely passionate about their lifestyles and
neighbors all stood by, frozen in fear. In the end, Ralph was
have immense pride in their traditions. This is mostly a
killed, Katarina was taken, and Siegfried was convinced by
coping mechanism to hide the truth – they are paranoid
his love to flee and keep the artifact safe.
and fearful of their situation. Villagers disappear with a
grim regularity, usually as a meal for vampires, and the

Art By Igor Kieryluk

5
Art by Dave Kendall

Revenge of the Damned beloved Katarina, who devoted her life to help them.
Siegfried was devastated with what happened. He and If the cowards refuse to fight the vampires in life, they’ll
Katarina’s family dedicated their lives to serve and protect fight them in death.
the people of Shadowgrange, only to be betrayed by them.
In a fit of rage, grief, and despair, he left the village, vowing
vengeance on all of Katarina’s murderers. Overview
The alchemist has taken up residence in the abandoned Army of the Damned is divided into four parts.
Maurer Estate. There he pursues the darker side of In Part 1, “Into Stensia,” the adventurers are on the
alchemy, the necro-alchemy of producing skaabs. road to the village of Shadowgrange, entering the province
Siegfried has teamed up with ghoulcaller Rinelda Smit, of Stensia through the Kruin Pass and now journeying
and together they have a mad plan to build an army of into the inner valley via the Hofsaddel Pass towards
skaabs and ghouls, taking the fight to the Voldaren estate Shadowgrange. During this treacherous journey, the
itself. adventurers may come across deadly foes and potential
To build an army of undead requires many corpses. allies, some of these encounters laying hooks for short
Siegfried has a decent supply, but he’ll need more, adventures in part 2.
hundreds more to dare challenge the Voldaren family. In Part 2, “Shadowgrange,” the characters arrive in
The skaberen has turned his eyes towards Shadowgrange: Shadowgrange to find the village in a state of unrest after
the villagers damned so many with their cowardice. They a brazen vampire attack. The adventurers must enter the
damned all those that disappear in the night with no mayor’s haunted house to retrieve the Church’s holy relic.
retaliation, all those that begged for help, including his They can also investigate the mystery of the abandoned

6
Introduction
alchemy shop and help various locals with smaller 5. The holy tomb of Saint Traft, one of the most righteous
problems. and celebrated cathars to walk the land, is located
In Part 3, “Night of the Dead,” the characters must deal in Shadowgrange. You’ve decided to make a holy
with approaching undead threat led by ghoulcaller Rinelda. pilgrimage to the saint’s tomb, where it’s said visitors
They can lead a defence or evacuation of the village. Once occasionally receive aid in the form of prophecy and
the zombies have been addressed, the adventurers can omens.
continue on their main mission of retrieving the artifact 6. Every few nights, you have a strange sequence of
from Siegfried. apocalyptic dreams where the holy city of Thraben is
In Part 4, “Into the Farbog,” the characters travel overrun by fiends and undead. Each time, the dream
through the farbog towards Maur Estate where Siegfried ends with you holding a strange object in your hand
resides, wading through spirits and deadly monsters. and a silver monument shattering in front of you,
In Part 5, “The Perfect Storm,” the characters infiltrate releasing a flood of light that cleanses the city. You
Mauer Estate, making their way past its vile defenses until feel a strange compulsion to travel to Shadowgrange,
confronting Siegfried in his laboratory, where the mad convinced that the object of your dreams is there.
scientist is putting the finishing touches on his ultimate 7. You have a secret. You were once a Skirsdag cultist,
creation. but at the end of your life you tried to change your
ways for good. With your dying breath, you prayed to
the moon for redemption. A vision came to you in the
Adventure Hooks shape of a silver heron. It told you to find an artifact
You can let players invent their own reasons for visiting named the Strionic Resonator in Shadowgrange and
Shadowgrange, or they can use the following backgrounds free Avacyn. You awoke in a new body, your memories
as an easy way to create characters with compelling ties to of your former life but a dim shadow. Only the vision
the events of Army of the Damned. with the silver heron remains in your mind with perfect
clarity.
Below is a list of bonds that applies to any background
that players select or create. You can replace or augment
some or all of the options in your chosen background with
one or more of the bonds.

BOND (D8)
1. The Church of Avacyn has hired you to make contact
with Katarina Brunn, a musical prodigy living in
Shadowgrange, whom they have not heard from in
months. You must find her and/or retrieve an artifact
that was under her care.
2. A letter has arrived summoning you to Shadowgrange.
Your cousin, Siegfried Reinholdt, has fled from
his home in Shadowgrange under mysterious
circumstances, and the deed to his property has
passed to you. Whatever you choose to do with the
shop, you must travel to Shadowgrange to sign the
necessary papers.
3. You have infiltrated the ranks of the demon-
worshipping Skirsdag cult. The cult has found out
about a secret plan that the Church of Avacyn is carrying
out, something involving an artifact being held by a
woman named Katarina living in Shadowgrange. You
are under orders to investigate this artifact.
4. Sielda Reishaf, an elder of the Avacyn Church and your
foster parent, has entrusted you with an important
mission: travel to Shadowgrange and find Katarina
Brunn. If she is missing, then retrieve the artifact she
was holding, a so-called “tuning fork.”

7
Introduction
Map by Sean Ellison

8
Chapter 1: Into Stensia
 until earlier today when you crossed the threshold into the
Part 1: Into Stensia outer valley via the Hofsaddel Pass.
The journey continues through Stensia’s outland valley
The adventure begins with the player characters on the along winding stone paths dotted by grim pine trees
road, traveling from Thraben to Shadowgrange (MAP). and flanked by the far-flung mountain ranges whose
The journey took them through the province Gavony into boney peaks reach into the cloudy sky. Sprouting from
Stensia via the Kruin Pass, a treacherous pass through the one such mountain is a castle with many spires, its
mountain range called Geier Reach, which cuts off Stensia imposing structure casting a long shadow down from the
from the rest of the provinces. The characters journeyed stony peaks. A hazey fog looms over the valleys, lightly
through Stensia’s inner valley and now cross Hofsaddel obscuring objects in the distance. The sky is awash in
pass into the outer valley where Shadowgrange resides. warm orange-red, with dark purplish-red clouds covering
Before you begin, have your players introduce their the setting sun.
characters. Let them explain why their characters are
making the journey from Thraben to Shadowgrange, In this part of the adventure, the players have just entered
either from one of the preconstructed backgrounds or Stensia’s outland valley via Hofsaddel Pass. The castle
something they’ve made up on their own. When you’re overlooking the pass is Castle Falkenrath, the home
ready to begin, read or paraphrase: base of the Falkenrath vampire bloodline. Common local
knowledge would know of the castle and the need to avoid
Your journey from Thraben to Shadowgrange has been approaching it closer than necessary.
relatively safe and mercifully uneventful so far. The road The journey to Shadowgrange will take two days.
drifted across the rolling hills and heaths that make up the
landscape of province Gavony, taking you through small
villages and quiet farmlands. Road Encounters
A few days ago you entered Geier Reach, the imposing Along the way, the characters will partake in four of
mountain range that cuts Stensia off from its neighboring the following events below. These events serve as an
provinces. The trail through it, called Kruin’s Pass, was a introduction into the lands, setting the tone of the world,
long, jagged path that cut up and over the mountainsides, feeding little bits of lore to the players, and establishing
until finally you entered Stensia proper. The last few that Stensia is a dangerous place to travel.
days had you trek through Stensia’s inner valley, passing Choose four of the events, marking when they occur
through the small settlements Silbern, Bourg, and Corsiva, (day/night). Alternatively, roll a D8 and consult the Road

9
Art by James Paick
 Art by James Paick

Encounters table to determine what the party

meets, rerolling 8’s and any duplicate results. You
may choose to divide the four events into two per
day, or randomly distribute them by rolling a D4(-1)
to determine which day the event occurs.
The difficulty of combat encounters and their
subsequent XP awards assume a party of four level
1’s. If this is not the case in your game, or if you
wish to make the combat easier or harder, you
may tweak the combat encounters to your desired
difficulty with Kobold Fight Club or similar builders.
d8 Event
1 Ancient Devoutees
2 Cloud of Teeth
3 Explosive Summons
4 Fiendish Hecklers
5 Into Darkness
6 Ominous Bridge
7 Wolf in Sheep’s If the skeletal priest notices the PCs, it will gesture them
Clothing to join the service and sit. If the PCs take hostile actions
or loot the chapel, all the skeletons will attack. If a PC
Ancient Devoutees tries to put the skeletons to rest with any reasonable idea
The adventurers come across the ruins of a small roadside (helping lead the ceremony to its conclusion, for example)
chapel, its name long forgotten. and succeed a DC 12 Intelligence (Religion) check, the
skeletons collapse and spectral images of their former
Tucked between the road and the mountainside are the living selves briefly appear, thank the PCs and reward
dilapidated remnants of a small chapel. The roof had them with the tithe bowl (see below) before fading away.
caved in long ago, and the wood and stone foundation
are half-covered in dirt and vegetation. Shards of colored Treasure
glass from what once were stained glass windows litter A thorough search of the chapel ruins and a successful
the ground near the entrance. DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals a silver tithe
collecting bowl buried in rubble beside the altar. The
With Avacyn’s presence fading from the world, foul magic bowl contains 17 cp, 14 sp, and 2 gp, while the ornate
has corrupted the earth here, and the dead have been container itself is worth 15 gp to jewelers or employees of
forced to rise. 3 skeletons (MM 272) (PICTURE) and 1 the Church.
skeleton priest (same stats as skeletons, just reskin its While most of the skeletons’ possessions are too rusted
shortbow as a magical bolt of nectoric energy) – the and decayed, one of the skeletons still grips a silver-inlaid
remains of the chapel’s priest and three cathars that died dagger (APPENDIX A) (PICTURE).
defending it -- are damned to carry out their last holy
prayers for eternity. When the adventurers approach, the Awarding Experience Points
skeletons are in the middle of this unending “service.” Divide 150 XP equally among the characters if the party
defeats the skeletons.
If the PCs look inside, read or paraphrase:

Three figures geared in weathered leathers of cathars Cloud of Teeth

sit on the rotted wooden pews with their heads bowed 3 swarms of skeletal bats (APPENDIX B) are flying in
in reverence. Standing in front of them, at the far end of the adventurer’s direction. They roam the road with the
the chapel behind a dilapidated podium, is a skeleton singular motive of ripping apart any traveler unfortunate
garbed in tattered priestly robes, its armed outstretched enough to come across them.
ceremoniously. Characters with a passive Wisdom (Perception) 16 or

10
Chapter 1: Into Stensia
 higher can sense the swarm’s approach 200 ft. away as
they round the bend. A passive Perception of 14 or higher Awarding Experience Points
notices them 120 ft. away, and a 12 or higher notices them Divide 150 XP equally among the characters if the party
60 ft. away. Finally, all can hear/see the swarm emerging defeats the skeletal bats.
from the fog ahead of them 30 ft. away.

You hear a cascading sound of high-pitched chirps and Explosive Summons

screeches coming from somewhere up ahead. It’s faint A group of Skirsdag cultists have been conducting a ritual
at first, but slowly rising in volume. There’s a dark blotch inside a roadside cave to summon demons into the world.
in the mists in front of you, and now you can hear the The ritual reaches its explosive conclusion as the party
screeching more clearly, along with the flapping of many approaches.
tiny wings. The dark blotch grows and takes form – it’s a
cloud of skeletal bats! The quiet valley is suddenly filled with a thunderous
booming sound that rumbles through the earth. A chorus
The swarms attack any living beings in their way of otherworldly screams are heard off in the distance,
mercilessly with tiny razor-sharp bites. Each swarm moves an eerie cry of pain, horror, and celebration. Moments
to a character, enters their square, and begins attacking. later, a large, dark humanoid figure emerges from the
They fight to the death. mountainside up ahead, taking to the air with broad,
leathery wings. Black smokes streams up into the sky
from where the figure emerged.

Shilgengar, the demonlord of ashmouth (APPENDIX B)

(PICTURE), emerges from the cave where the summoning
ritual took place, 450 ft. away from the approaching
adventurers. He hasn’t seen the characters on the road
and begins flying off north to Mauer Estate. The demon
shouldn’t take notice of the characters unless the
adventurers take very foolish steps to grab his attention.
The adventurers may encounter Shilgengar again in
Chapter 4.
The cave is not far from the path the adventurers are
taking. Wisps of black sulfurous smoke streams from the
cave’s mouth. The stone surfaces inside the cave are badly
scorched from the fiery summoning. The cave is dimly lit
by numerous wax candles littering the walls and floor,
most knocked over from the explosion. Charred corpses
of several cultists are on the floor, the palms of their hands
ritually slashed open, their blood used to paint a wide red
circle on the floor. The stone floor in the middle of the
bloody circle has fallen through, now a gaping chasm that
spews heat and sulfurous black smoke. The bottom of the
chasm is lost in darkness.
When the adventurers investigate the cave or pass it
by, 2 hellriders (APPENDIX B) riding 2 ashmouth hounds
(APPENDIX B) (PICTURE) emerge from the chasm and
attack on sight. They fight to the death.

Leaping out of the chasm with a howl is a monstrous

fiery hound, its razor-sharp claws and teeth crowned
with flame. Riding atop this large dog is a small impish
humanoid with long backswept horns and hard, chitin-
like dark red skin. The fiend grins wide, revealing rows
of needle-like teeth, its red eyes burning bright with

11
Art by Svetlin Velinov
Art by Svetlin Velinov Chapter 1: Into Stensia
anticipation as it yanks the iron reigns of its steed, urging
it faster towards you. The mephits keep out of the party’s attack range, defaulting
to a distance of about 100ft. from the adventurers. They
flee if attacked, only to sneak back with their Stealth +4.
Developments
They’d much rather verbally attack the adventurers than
Characters investigating the chasm find that the earth has
get physical.
resealed the bottom. No more demons will emerge from
The elementals try to mislead the adventurers to make
it -- at least until another summoning occurs.
them go the wrong way or doubt themselves. They could
A thorough search of the cultist bodies, along with a
“warn” them of a dead-end up ahead, or of a powerful
DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check, notices that each
demon preying on the road, always fabrications.
cultist had been stabbed in the chest. A follow-up DC 10
The mephits constantly mock the characters at
Intelligence (Investigation) check notes that each cultist
every opportunity. They’ll insult the studious wizard’s
was ritually stabbed in the heart with a dagger with no
intelligence, call the strong barbarian weak, and complain
signs of struggle, and a check result of 15 or higher notes
about the bard’s terrible music. They love getting a rise
that the killing strokes were delivered hours before the
out of characters, even if they are destroyed in the process.
ritual completed. The ritual dagger is nowhere to be found.
While most of the cultists that participated in the
summoning ritual stuck around for its explosive Developments
conclusion, a Wisdom (Perception) check DC 12 reveals If the adventurers are preoccupied fighting in a different
two pairs of humanoid footprints that left the cave only combat encounter and seem to be winning, one of the
hours ago. The footprints arrive at a horses’ prints and an mephits will sneak up to an adventurer furthest from
Intelligence (Nature) check DC 10 confirms that they rode his or her allies (typically a ranged character) and use its
off in the direction of Shadowgrange. Cinder Breath before flying away, cackling. Smoke mephits
These two surviving cultists are Shadowgrange are total jerks like that.
residents Otto and Magda Botler. They ritually killed the The mephits stalk the adventurers relentlessly until all
other willing cultists to complete the summoning and left of them are destroyed or the party reaches Shadowgrange
before the ritual finished. The characters may encounter (maybe even longer!).
these two in the next chapter.
Awarding Experience Points
Treasure Divide 150 XP equally among the characters if the party
If characters loot the cultist bodies, they’ll find a total of 25 defeats the mephits.
cp, 18 sp, and 12 gp.
One of the cultists also carries a gilded ram’s horn. It’s Into Darkness
worth 25 gp to the right (shady) buyer. Etched on its side At night, 2 shadows (MM 269) begin to stalk the party.
is a symbol that characters can identify with an Intelligence They will try to make a Dexterity (Stealth) check to hide
(Religion) check DC 15 -- the symbol of the archdemon in the party’s shadows, waiting until they are split up or
Griselbrand, the most venerated demon of the Skirsdag. sleeping before attacking. The shadows are drawn to the
characters that radiate the most goodness in terms of
Awarding Experience Points lifestyle, attitude, and personality. For example, they will
Divide 250 XP equally among the characters if the party prioritize attacking the good-aligned paladin over the
neutral wizard.
defeats the hellriders and ashmouth hounds.

Awarding Experience Points

Fiendish Hecklers Divide 200 XP equally among the characters if the party
3 smoke mephits (MM 217) follow the characters as they defeats the shadows.
journey through the valley.

You hear snickering and cackling coming from your left, Ominous Bridge
echoing off the mountain range. A raspy, shrill voice calls The land ahead drops off into a dark, stony ravine. A
out, “you don’t want to go that way! You’ll die too soon dilapidated bridge offers the most obvious way over.
and spoil our fun!” Looking left, you notice three black Aside for the chunks of missing stone and its ruinous
figures hovering in the air. The small impish creatures appearance, the bridge is sturdy enough. That is not the
billow smoke from their hazy bodies. true danger, however. A giant spider (MM 328) and giant

12
Chapter 1: Into Stensia
wolf spider (MM 330) (PICTURE) lay in wait on the bridge’s The jagged stone road curves around a stony peak. As you
underbelly. Thin strands of nearly invisible webbing round the bend, you see an alcove in the mountainside.
coating the bridge alerts the spiders to any movement on In the middle of the alcove, bursting through the rocky
top. The spiders instinctively attack anything that disturbs ground, is a wide pine tree stump. Carved from what used
their webs, but flee if taken below half their health points. to be its trunk and rising up from its stump is the symbol
A Wisdom (Perception) check DC 15 notices the thin of the Church: Avacyn’s Collar. Wild flowers, wooden
webbing on the bridge. An Intelligence (Nature) check DC trinkets, and prayer beads adorn the shrine.
10 confirms the webbing to belong to giant spiders. Taking Kneeling in prayer in front of the shrine is a pale sweaty
a peek under the bridge (hopefully not too close!) can human wearing dirty, torn shepherd’s clothing.
spot the spiders lurking in the shadows with a Wisdom
(Perception) check DC 20. The praying man is Anton Wepper (PICTURE), a shepherd
Webs. Thin webs cover the surface of the bridge. The from the village Lammas. Anton carries a dark secret: a
squares are difficult terrain, and a creature trying to few nights ago he was bitten by a werewolf and cursed
move through them must succeed on a DC 10 Strength with lycanthropy (MM 206). Fearing for the safety of his
(Athletics) check. On a failure, the creature is restrained in loved ones, he left his home and is making the trek to
the webs. A snared creature can take an action each round Shadowgrange, hoping to pick up supplies there and then
to attempt to break free with a DC 12 Strength check, or continue on to the farbog to live in isolation. Anton has
it can try to cut its way free by using a light weapon that been praying ceaselessly to Avacyn hoping not to let the
deals slashing damage. The webs have AC 10, 5 hit points, curse take hold, but unknown to him, tomorrow night is a
vulnerability to fire damage, and immunity to bludgeoning, full moon, which will cause him to involuntarily transform
poison, and psychic damage. into a werewolf.
Anton is initially fearful of the PCs but can be calmed
Developments down if they prove they aren’t vampires or other monsters.
Characters can choose to avoid the bridge and spiders If Anton finds out that they’re going to Shadowgrange, he
entirely and navigate down into the ravine and back up begs to come along, as the road is dangerous. He tells
the other side, adding several hours to their journey. It them that he’s stopping by Shadowgrange to start a new
takes a Strength (Athletics) check DC 10 to climb up or life, which is vague but true. If pressed about his motives,
down the ravine walls. he lies, saying that he inherited land near Shadowgrange
and he is traveling to sign papers. He’s also willing
to provide any local knowledge about Stensia, basic
Treasure information about important locations, rumors, dangers
Three web cocoons are stuck on the bridge’s underside.
on the road, and other bits of local knowledge.
Adventurers looking under the bridge can notice the
A Wisdom (Insight) check DC 13 can notice that the
cocoons tucked into shallow pits with a Wisdom
nervous shepherd is withholding information. A Wisdom
(Perception) check DC 20. Reaching the cocoons is
(Perception) check DC 15 notices a burn mark in the shape
another challenge altogether. If they come up with a way
of Avacyn’s Collar on his wrist (Anton hides it under his
to do so and loot the dessicated corpses, they’ll find 30 cp,
sleeve). An Intelligence (Religion) check DC 13 confirms
27 sp, and 8 gp in coins, emerald-encrusted earings and
that the signs point to lycanthropy. An Intelligence
a gold necklace with a tear-shaped ruby together worth 30
(Nature) check DC 13 confirms the next full moon for
gp total, and a potion of healing.
tomorrow night. Getting Anton to speak truly about his
curse can be done through diplomacy, intimidation, and
Awarding Experience Points other methods.
Divide 250 XP equally among the characters if the party
defeats the giant spiders or goes around them. Developments
The shrine’s divine magic lays dormant. A character can
Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing spend an hour performing the proper holy rituals with
The party arrives at a roadside shrine. Before, these an Intelligence (Religion) check DC 15 to reactivate the
shrines provided travellers a safe haven, its protective divine magic. Doing so grants anyone resting at the shrine
magics warding the immediate area from evil creatures. an Inspiration Point, and evil creatures are compelled not
But with the archangel Avacyn’s disappearance, the holy to approach the shrine’s immediate vicinity.
magic of the shrine has gone dormant. Anton is a good man but afraid to die. If the party figures
out his curse, he begs them to help, swearing that he is
faithful to Avacyn and doesn’t want to hurt anyone. He

13
Chapter 1: Into Stensia
needs them to escort him to Shadowgrange where he can
pick up supplies and escape north into the swamps, away
from human civilization. Conclusion of Part 1
If he feels his life is threatened, Anton will make a On the end of the third day of travel, the party arrives at
desperate attempt to defend himself. He is a commoner Shadowgrange, where the adventure continues in part 2.
(MM 345) with a light crossbow.
The next night, when the full moon rises, he transforms Awarding Experience Points
into a werewolf (MM 211), losing all self-control and goes Reaching the village of Shadowgrange completes a story
on a murderous rampage. milestone. Divide 300 XP equally among the characters.
This should provide enough XP for the characters to attain
Treasure 2nd level.
Anton carries a small sack of coins holding 15 cp, 4 sp, and
1 gp. In the shepherd’s coat pocket is his most treasured
Milestone: Level 2!
If you are using Milestone Experience, then the characters
possession, an avacyn collar (APPENDIX A) (L). Anton
attain 2nd level once they reach Shadowgrange.
can no longer wear it as blessed silver burns his flesh. If
the characters agree to let him travel with them, he gives
them the chain as thanks before parting ways.

Awarding Experience Points

Divide 300 XP equally among the characters once they’ve
dealt with Anton any way they choose. In the event that
they defeat him once he’s transformed into a werewolf,
instead divide 600 XP.

14
Art by Vincent Proce
 Art by James Paick

a drink. Beyond the drawbridge over the water stands an

iron-reinforced wooden gate flanked by two guards, the
only way through Shadowgrange’s stone walls. A small
grove of hawthorn trees grows near the moat and more
branches can be seen poking over the village walls.

2 guards (MM 347), twin brothers Lars and Sven, stand

watch outside of the village gates. These cathars hail the
adventurers as they approach over the drawbridge. In a
cold formal tone, they check to see if the characters are
fiends by asking them to give them the palm of their hand,
which they touch with an avacyn collar made of blessed
silver (APPENDIX A).
Once satisfied that the characters aren’t supernatural
abominations, the guards, Lars animates dramatically,
tossing aside his formal speech and tries to chum it up
with the newcomers, much to the bemoaning of Sven,
who deems this “unprofessional.” Lars is a lighthearted

Part 2: Shadowgrange and curious fellow, rarely seeing strangers in the area,
and the adventurers intrigue him. The twins are willing to
provide local knowledge to the characters and point them
in the direction of wherever they need to go.
Shadowgrange (MAP) is one of the oldest human
settlements in Stensia. Most of the villagers are farmers,
the majority being shepherds. The rest of the villagers
work in trades that support the farmers by spinning wool,
Encounters in
weaving clothes, shoeing horses, milling grain, and the
like. Some merchants move goods from Shadowgrange to
Shadowgrange
The party will probably want to freshen up after their
other settlements such as Lammas, but shipments move
long journey to Shadowgrange. They can rest at the inn,
less frequently these days as the roads become more
restock their supplies at the general shop, acquire new
dangerous.
weapons at the blacksmith, and receive divine blessings
In the last two years, Shadowgrange has experienced
at the village church. The party’s goals will then lead them
a swell of new citizens that sought refuge behind the
to one or more of the following locations:
village’s fortifications. Most of these folk come from
Haunted House. All adventure hooks involving Katarina
smaller remote villages that have been destroyed by
Brunn or the holy relic lead to the haunted house of the
over-indulgent vampires, mindless undead, or sadistic
former mayor. Villagers questioned about these things
ghoulcallers. With Avacyn’s presence missing from the
direct the PCs to Priestess Flora at the chapel where they
land, the protective holy wards of these villages are failing,
can get more information.
and creatures of the night are making bolder attacks.
Alchemist’s Shop. Siegfried’s alchemy shop has been
Shadowgrange’s moat and stone walls make it one of
abandoned ever since he left Shadowgrange. The villagers
the best defended villages in the area, but many villagers
are concerned about Siegfried’s disappearance, and that
secretly believe that this settlement will eventually fall just
the hawthorn tree growing in the center of the shop is
like the rest.
mysteriously dying. Any inquiries about the shop are
directed to Captain Levi at the visgaud grounds.
When characters first arrive in Shadowgrange, read or
Saint Traft’s Memorial. Inside Shadowgrange’s chapel
paraphrase:
is a statue commemorating the local saint, Traft. One of
the greatest cathars to have ever lived, it’s said that his
The valley dips downward and you see dozens of sheep
spirit occasionally bestows blessings on worthy visitors.
flocks roaming the thin, wispy hills, with shepherds
Characters making pilgrimage to Traft’s memorial will be
watching over them. Beyond, nestled in a corner beside
pointed here.
the jagged mountain range, is Shadowgrange. The dirt
path swings around farms and wooden cottages until it
reaches the village’s moat, where sheep gather round for

15
Chapter 2: Shadowgrange
Important NPCs Town Description
Here is a quick summary of the most important NPCs in Most of the villagers live on their farms outside of
Shadowgrange, and their relevance to the adventure. Shadowgrange’s walls. The tradesfolk and wealthier
citizens live inside. Each cottage is built around a
Eckhardt Sheck Innkeeper hawthorn tree, with the tree’s trunk in the center of the
Magda Botler Owns a trading post; secretly a common room and its branches poke above the rooftop.
Skirsdag cultist; has a cursed item This provides residents centralized access to living wood
for the party (APPENDIX A) as a defense against vampires. Every
Flora Mayweather Head priestess of Shadowgrange’s cottage also features a mirror on the outside of the front
chapel; has a quest for the party door to dissuade vampires from approaching, and often
Marcus Ritter Blacksmith; has a quest for the party have prayers to Avacyn engraved on the door frame to
Silvia Wintsch Fletcher; has a quest for the party repel evil spirits.
Captain Levi Captain of the local militia; has a The following section detail specific locations in town.
quest for the party

Roleplaying Shadowgrange NPCs Silver Rose Inn

The humans of Shadowgrange are stoic folk, neither Silver Rose Inn is a popular destination in the evening for
expressive nor demonstrative people. Countless villagers taking a break after a long day’s work. Most folk
generations of hardship and proximity to the vampire head back home before nightfall, however, as the roads
strongholds – lost children, lost neighbors – have taught are far more dangerous once the sun goes down.
them to guard their hearts. They are proud and fervent in There are eight rooms available for rent. If the characters
their beliefs but seem brusque or even cold to outsiders. decide to stay here, see “Food, Drink, and Lodging” in the
Times have been particularly rough these past few Player’s Handbook for pricing (PHB 158).
seasons with the disappearance of Avacyn. The holy wards The innkeeper, Eckhardt Sheck, is a former cathar
protecting humanity are losing power, and the villagers (statted as a Neutral Good thug [MM 350]). Although in
are becoming more paranoid and fearful as attacks from his mid 50’s with thin greying blonde hair, he is remains
creatures of the night become bolder and more frequent. an imposing figure; his thick, muscled, hairy arms look
Shadowgrange is becoming more crowded as they take like they could snap a regular man in two, or at least they
in refugees from neighboring villages that have fallen to could if he had a right hand instead of a grasping hook
darkness, and the stress of accommodating more people -- he lost it fighting off a swarm of ghouls, nasty business.
to protect and mouths to feed is worsening their tempers. His permanent scowl and gruff attitude hides his kind
Spirits are at an all-time low with the murder of the heart.
mayor four months ago. The villagers stood frozen in fear If asked about Katarina Brunn, the artifact from the
as Voldaren vampires strolled into their village, murdered Avacynian Church, or Saint Traft’s memorial, Eckhardt
their mayor, and kidnapped Katarina (See “Background”). tells them to speak with priestess Flora at the village
That event really drove home the knowledge that the church, saying that she would know more about those
people of Shadowgrange are truly helpless in the face of things than anyone else.
the horrors around them. Fear and shame have kept them Rumors. Spending a little time in the common room and
from even clearing out the mayor’s haunted house. chatting up the townspeople can provide the characters
People feel a little resentment towards Thraben, the seat with a number of good leads to explore around the village.
of the Avacynian Church. They believe the high priesthood NPCs present in the Silver Rose Inn and the rumors they
isn’t doing enough to protect Stensians, instead getting pass on include:
wealthy off tithes and living in safety behind Thraben’s • Gerold, an old farmer: “Priestess Flora is still looking
walls while places like Shadowgrange suffer. for tough folks to try and purge the spirits in the old
Martial and magical prowess is highly prized in mayor’s house.”
humanity’s fight for survival. Villagers are initially wary • Lena, a shepherd: “The hawthorne tree the alchemist
of the characters but the adventurers quickly earn their shop is built around looks to be dying. Someone
respect and admiration if they prove to be protecting needs to check out what’s killing it.”
them -- clearing the haunted house, for example. Gruff • Merle, a cathar: “I placed an order for a blessed silver
“off you go then” goodbyes turn into “Avacyn’s blessings longsword months ago. Marcus, the blacksmith, says
upon you, heroes.” there’s a shortage though.”
• Carsten, a priest: “Last week I prayed at Saint Traft’s
memorial in the chapel, and I swear by Avacyn’s Light,

16
Chapter 2: Shadowgrange
 Map by Sean Ellison

I saw his spirit!” Characters in need of metal weapons or armor are pointed
• Martin, village idiot: “Old man Otto at Bountiful to The Tempered Bull, and ranged weapons or leathers
Heron General Store keeps complaining that there’s inquiries are nudged towards Fleeting Fox Provisions (see
no one to talk to about the ‘R’ canes. Where do you their respective sections).
think those grow, anyway?” The owners are an old married couple, Otto and Magda
• Helga, innkeeper’s wife: “Silvia, the fletcher, told me Botler. They are kind to the characters, Magda often calling
yesterday she needs a certain type of wild herb, but them “dear” or “sweetie.” Otto sits behind the counter
she hasn’t had the time to go get it.” fussing over old scrolls and tomes of arcane knowledge.
Magda works the counter, feebly moving over to get
These leads should point the characters toward anything the characters ask for with trembling hands.
opportunities for adventure in and around Shadowgrange. Their feeble movements and kindness are a ruse, however.
A DC 25 Wisdom (Insight) check notices that their actions
aren’t entirely sincere – Magda and Otto have honed their
Bountiful Heron General Store “kind old people” act for over a decade. If confronted
Bountiful Heron is the biggest trading post in
about it, the couple tries to laugh it off, saying pretending
Shadowgrange. Its shelves are stocked with ordinary
to be feeble gets people to do things for them.
goods and supplies. Characters can buy adventuring
Otto and Magda are secretly two Skirsdag cultists. Magda
gear here, with the exception of items worth over 25g.
is a cult fanatic (MM 345) and Otto a mage (MM 347). The
(For prices, see “Adventuring Gear” in the rulebook.)
two came to Shadowgrange to steal Elbrus, the Binding

17
Chapter 2: Shadowgrange
Blade (APPENDIX A) from Saint Traft’s Memorial. Now silver-eyed man is remarkably young for his position. An
with the dagger in their possession, they work tirelessly exceptional smith, his apprenticeship was cut short when
to release the demon lord Withengar from the dagger. the previous blacksmith was found burnt to a crisp; rumor
They recently made a trek outside of Shadowgrange to has it that he cremated his late wife and she returned to
help perform a demon summoning ritual alongside fellow take vengeance upon him as a fiery geist. Marcus was
cultists (see “Explosive Summoning” in Chapter 1). given the position shortly after.
Arcane Appreciation. Otto takes special note of any Characters can buy metal arms and armor here. (For
character clearly showing arcane talents – casting an prices, see “Equipment” in the rulebook.)
arcane spell, carrying an arcane spellbook, etc. Few folks Quest: Blessed Silver Shortage. Marcus used to create
around here have knowledge of the arcane, and Otto weapons of blessed silver (see APPENDIX A) with the help
excitedly peppers the character(s) with questions about of the late mayor, Ralph Brunn. With his death months
their background, studies, and goals in their pursuit of ago, however, no one else in the village knows the holy
arcane knowledge. If the character is proficient with ritual to bless the silver as the weapons are being forged.
Intelligence (Arcane), allow him or her to roll an Arcane Marcus has asked for help from Thraben but has received
check during their talk with Otto, provided they are willing no response. Without new blessed silver weapons, the
to answer his questions. On a result of 10 or higher, Otto village is ill-prepared to defend themselves against
gifts them a scroll of comprehend languages, saying supernatural horrors. The blacksmith asks if any of the
that he hasn’t had a use for it and hopes it may help the characters know how to perform the ritual.
budding spellcaster; on a 15 or higher he is so impressed A character that has proficiency in Intelligence (Religion)
with the character’s knowledge that he also gifts them a can attempt a DC 15 check to see if they can perfectly recall
scroll of burning hands and a scroll disguise self. the holy ritual. If they do, the character can assist Marcus
An Innocent Gift. Otto and Magda know that Elbrus, the in creating a batch of blessed weapons, which takes 10
Binding Blade requires many souls to awaken Withengar. It hours uninterrupted.
would be very difficult to kill enough people to unleash the If they are successful, Marcus gifts the character one
demon lord without blowing their cover. The adventurers of the weapons as thanks. The character can choose any
arriving in town presents a unique opportunity to pass the metal weapon (see “Weapons” in the rulebook) as their
blade off to professional killers that will surely fulfill the gifted blessed silver weapon.
dagger’s soul quota and unleash Withengar for them. Characters can purchase additional blessed silver
Otto will take any good opportunity to put Elbrus in the weapons for the standard price of silver weapons (weapon
party’s hands, either by initially offering to sell them it for price + 100 gp for silver). Marcus is thankful for their help,
50 gp, or later by gifting the characters it after they aid but the blacksmith cannot give his weapon stock away for
the village in some significant way, such clearing out the free, since this is the livelihood of him and his apprentices.
mayor’s house or helping the people during the zombie
attack. Awarding Experience Points
Elbrus takes the innocent looking form of the Divide 200 XP equally among the characters if a party
Shapeshifter’s Blade (PICTURE). Otto describes it as a member helps Marcus craft blessed silver weapons.
weapon that changes form based on the user’s thoughts
(which is true), and that he picked it up along his travels
but never had a use for physical weapons (also true). Fleeting Fox Provisions
Three sisters, a fletcher named Silvia, a bowyer named
Emma, and a leatherworker named Sybille, are co-owners
Awarding Experience Points of this shop. They keep the village’s hunters armed and
Divide 200 XP equally among the characters if a party
protected to venture into the dangerous wilderness.
member talks arcane magics with lonely old Otto.
Not only do they run the shop, but these sisters are also
the most talented hunters in the village. The silver-haired
The Tempered Bull women move with an uncanny grace, and despite their
Physical danger is a fact of life for Stensians, and most advanced age (all in their 50’s), they retain the youthful
villagers have weapons ready to protect themselves from appearance of women half their age. For these reasons, the
the creatures of darkness. Shadowgrange’s forge runs hot trio have earned the nickname “Moontouched Sisters.”
from the crack of dawn until late into the night, smithing Characters can buy ranged weapons, ammo, and
new weapons and repairing damaged ones. leather armors here. (For prices, see “Equipment” in the
Marcus Ritter, the head blacksmith, is busy tempering rulebook.)
a blade, assisted by six apprentices. The black-haired, Quest: Find the Lotus. Silvia asks that if the party finds

18
Chapter 2: Shadowgrange
themselves in the farbog to the north, to keep an eye out serves as the town hall, courtroom jail, and Town Guard
for a plant called Sanguine Lotus. She has a recipe that headquarters, housing twenty of the militia that protect
uses the plant’s flower to create a healing salve called the village (the rest have small cabins of their own in and
life’s blood (see APPENDIX A). The lotus only flowers for around town).
a few weeks this time of year, and she doesn’t have the Beside the building is the cathars’ training grounds,
time to venture out and collect them herself. She will pay where off-duty militia train on target dummies or in
gold for them, along with some of the salve. practice duels with wooden swords.
Characters proficient in Intelligence (Nature) will be Captain Levi (PICTURE) (statted as a Lawful Good
prompted to make a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check thug [MM 350]) is the leader of Shadowgrange’s militia,
while traveling through the farbog in Chapter 4. On being promoted to that position shortly after Katarina’s
success, they’ll find sanguine lotus. If they characters kidnapping. A middle-aged veteran fighter trained in
bring the lotus back to Silvia, she will grind the flowers Elgaud Grounds in Nephalia, Levi is a strong and capable
into life’s blood, giving the party two vials of it along with leader charged with protecting the village as best he can.
50 gp. Alchemy Shop Investigation. Levi is aware that some
townsfolk are concerned about the mysteriously dying
Awarding Experience Points hawthorn tree at the center of the abandoned alchemy
Divide 200 XP equally among the characters if the party shop. He considers it a nonissue and doesn’t want to deal
retrieves sanguine lotus for Silvia. with it, arguing his time is better spent on more pressing
issues, like training new recruits and other administration
work. If a PC asks to investigate the shop, or if they have
Visgaud Grounds the deed to the shop, Levi is happy to let them check it
The sturdiest building in Shadowgrange is this old stone out.
house built near the village gates. Visgaud Grounds

19
Armory ornate spear high above her head as if to rally those that
A small stone tower adjacent to Visgaurd Grounds, about look up at her. A silver plaque at the base of the statue
30 feet tall, the armory holds arms and armor for the reads, “Here lies Saint Traft, champion of Avacyn, hero of
town militia -- spears, light wooden shield, leather armor, Shadowgrange.”
studded leather amor, and a few old longswords and On the back wall of the room is a display case made
crossbows. Most of the arms have already been issued to of glass and iron, surrounded by etchings on the walls,
the members of the militia. hymns and prayers to Avacyn. Inside the case rests a bone
An ancient hawthorn tree with an unusually thick trunk dagger with black engravings along its blade. A small
grows beside the armory. Villagers call it the Eldentree. plaque on the case reads, “A hero’s sacrifice: may the foul
The cathars maintain the tree and diligently carve the demon Withengar suffer for an eternity in this prison.”
outline of stakes and spears into its trunk. In times of
need, these weapons are cut out of the Eldentree, which Saint Traft’s restless spirit manifests throughout Stensia,
function as weapons of living wood (APPENDIX A) for the protecting innocents and vanquishing fiends much as
next two days. he did in life. The powerful aura of fate hanging onto the
adventurers is likely to draw his attention.
The display case is locked; a DC 20 Dexterity (Sleight of
Chapel Hand) is required to open it. It is watched over by Flora,
Shadowgrange’s chapel is the focal point of the village. who replenishes the holy wards around it and keeps a
Most villagers worship here several times per week, and permanent Alarm spell cast on the case to be alerted if
many pass by the church on a daily basis for a blessing of anyone opens it. Flora does not permit anyone to touch
safety. Mandatory tithes and payments for blessings keep the dagger, explaining that it holds the bound essence of
the church’s coffers always full. the demon lord Withengar and is not something to be
Priestess Flora (PICTURE), a priestess (MM 348), tampered with.
oversees the day-to-day administration at the church with The dagger inside is Elbrus, the Binding Blade – or
the help of a few lower-ranking clergy members. She is at least it was, until Otto and Magda Botler stole it and
usually busy throughout the day, leading the morning and replaced it with a forgery (see “Bountiful Heron General
evening sermons, blessing the villagers, and performing Store”). It’s such a convincing duplicate that Flora has
divine rituals to reinforce Shadowgrange’s protective never noticed the switch. The only big giveaway is that the
wards. An old, oddly talkative woman, Flora stands out duplicate is a mundane item, while the real thing radiates
amongst the majority of Stensians by being outwardly magic, something a character may notice with the Detect
warm and welcoming. Magic spell or similar.
If asked about Katarina Brunn or the artifact, Flora Quest: Saint Traft’s Favor. Traft’s spirit takes note of the
will take the characters aside and tell them the story of adventurers when they visit his shrine. The spirit senses
what happened to the mayor’s daughter -- paraphrase that these characters will play a pivotal role in restoring
the information from “Background: Voldaren’s Lesson,” balance to the land and seeks to aid them. At some point
leaving out information about the artifact itself. She knows later in the adventure of your choosing (perhaps after the
that Katarina was studying something of grave importance siege of Chapter 3), Traft appears to one of the characters of
for the high priests, but she doesn’t know what the artifact your choice in their dream. The spirit chooses a character
is, only that it would’ve been kept somewhere in the house. that pays respect at the shrine, or one that is most likely
Saint Traft’s Memorial. Flora is happy to show Saint to wield a spear in battle, or that acts in a Lawful and/or
Traft’s memorial to any inquiring character. She fondly Good manner. When that character next sleeps, read or
recalls the saint’s story; how he reached Sainthood in life, paraphrase:
how even angels would fight under his command, and
his heroic death single-handedly fighting cultists and the The spectral figure of a noble human approaches you in
demon-lord Withengar to protect a single innocent life. your dream. His blue wispy form is perpetually shifting, as
(Saint Traft’s entire story can be read here.) if being buffeted by an unfelt breeze. The ghostly human’s
features matches exactly the statue of Saint Traft you saw
Inside this small room is Saint Traft’s memorial, dimly before: it must be his spirit.
lift by dozens of wax candles. In the middle of the room “I sense the heavy mantle of fate resting on the
is a statue of Saint Traft. He appears as a strong, valiant shoulders of you and your allies,” the spirit in an oddly
middle-aged man taking a knee in prayer while steadying a comforting tone, “you shall play a role in bringing balance
greatsword in hand. Soaring above him with outstretched to this world. Unfortunately, my hold on the mortal world
feathery wings is an angel in a silken gown, holding an is weak during these dark times, but I shall help you how

20
Chapter 2: Shadowgrange
 Art by Todd Lockwood

I can.” crafting potions (See “Crafting” in the rulebook).

A statuesque angel in a silken gown lands beside you Along the counter is a smattering of devices, among
and hands you a silvery spear. them ten empty vials and stoppers, a herbalism kit, and
“This weapon shall aid you. Stay strong, traveler. We’ll alchemist’s supplies. (See “Tools” in the rulebook for
meet again.” their stats.)
Traft and the angel fade back into the darkness. Hanging on the back wall is a shelf with potions. Some
of the liquids have expired, but there are four vials of acid,
When the adventurer wakes up, they find the moonsilver three potions of healing, and two alchemist’s fire. (See
spear (APPENDIX A) (PICTURE) from their dream gripped “Adventuring Gear” in the rulebook for their stats.)
in hand. There is a fireplace with various iron mixing pots
hanging over the pit. Inside one of the pots is a muddy
Quest: Haunted House. If not approached with any hooks, liquid that has little bits of scales, pink flesh, a small claw,
Flora instead seeks out the characters herself. She has a and hair. A DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) reveals it to be a
job for them: rid the mayor’s house of its evil presence. potion of animal friendship (DMG 187).
Regardless of how they solve the problem, Flora rewards
them with 200 gp and, if they haven’t been awarded Developments
possession of the alchemy shop already, she offers them A DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check notices
to take anything they find in there. some hastily concealed ashen footprints leading from
the fireplace and out the door. A DC 15 Intelligence
(Investigation) check examining the fireplace notices a
Alchemist’s Shop hidden lever. Pulling the lever slides a hidden door in the
Hanging above the front door of this small cabin is a fireplace, revealing a narrow spiraling staircase that leads
wooden sign with a potion painted on it. Like most of the to the Alchemist’s Basement.
buildings here, a hawthorn tree pokes out of the cabin’s
roof in the center, but its barren branches and greying Alchemist’s Basement
bark signals that it’s dying. The hidden stone staircase is a short flight of stairs,
revealing the alchemist shop’s basement. It’s pitch black
This shop has been abandoned ever since its owner, the here; the characters will need a light source or darkvision
alchemist Siegfried Reinholdt, fled from the village after to see. Assuming vision, they see this:
Katarina’s kidnapping (see “Background” for details).
The shelves around the shop are stocked with alchemical The short flight of stairs ends just under the shop.The
reagents. Semi-precious gems, pickled animal body parts withering roots of the hawthorn tree takes up the center
such as newt eyes, and many plants can be found here, of the room and sprawls all across the floor. The roots are
though most of the once-live vegetation has withered and covered in vines and dead shrubbery.
died due to months of neglect. In total, there’s about 350 Along the walls on both your sides are strange
gp worth of alchemical materials that can be used for alchemical devices, glass bottles of various shapes and

21
Chapter 2: Shadowgrange
sizes filled with strange liquids, tubes connecting them The letter is written by Siegfried’s cousin, a man that
with each other and others burying themselves amid the goes by “Stitcher Geralf.” The cousin voices his support
tree’s roots. of Siegfried’s decision to finally study necro-alchemy and
Beside the back wall is a wooden desk with piles of suggests he move his operations to a place called Mauer
papers covering its surface along with a leather-bound Estate.
book. Beside the desk is a humanoid figure laying down On the metal platform rests a well-preserved human
on a metal platform with dozens of utensils littering its corpse -- or rather, many pieces of human corpses stitched
sides. together. Copper plates with silver-inlaid runes scribed on
them have been woven into the creature, the rune-bonds
That’s no ordinary vegetation growing amongst the roots; used to join the various anatomical features. The strange
it’s actually comprised of 5 twig blights and 1 vine blight liquid in most of the glass bottles is the vital fluid, the
(MM 32). These plant monsters were part of Siegfried’s “blood” of the skaab, made of lamp oil with a pinch of
experiments to create effective weapons against vampires, angel blood. Siegfried had this test skaab properly built,
as they are, in a sense, walking living wood (see APPENDIX but he never uttered the incantation to awaken it.
A).
The blights lay motionless on the ground, making them Treasure
indistinguishible from normal vegetation. They patiently Sitting in a corner of the basement is an alchemy jug
wait until the characters are distracted searching the (DMG 150). Siegfried used the jug to produce the oil
room (or they’re discovered) and then attack. The plants needed for the skaab’s vital fluid.
are hungry, having already devoured most of the nutrients The various necro-alchemical equipment that Siegfried
from the hawthorn tree while locked down here, and fight amassed in the basement could be worth 500 gp to fellow
until destroyed. stitchers, but commoners and members of the Church of
Avacyn would be hostile to anyone found carrying such
Developments items.
A leather-bound book rests on the desk; Siegfried’s journal.
The entries describe his love of his Stensian countrymen, Awarding Experience Points
praising their bravery and perserverence. and above Divide 325 XP equally among the characters if the party
all, his love of Katarina, the light of his life. He outlines destroys the blights.
dozens of plans to protect his people from the horrors of
the night, especially from the horrible vampires that prey
on humanity like cattle. Siegfried devoted his life to this Mayor’s House
endeavor, discarding what didn’t work and always trying The mayor’s house is a one of the larger and more
out new ideas. The final entries note Siegfried’s increasingly comfortable homes in the village. The two-story building
desperate situation now that Avacyn disappeared and her is built atop a small hill not far from the chapel and has a
protective magics fail; the horrors grow bolder and more large hawthorn tree sticking up through its roof.
of his people die. He ultimately resolves to pursue the foul The house seems ordinary enough until you come close
“art” of necro-alchemy, believing it to be a necessary evil and notice that the mirror placed on the wooden door
to protect his loved ones. has been shattered. Holy protection prayers to Avacyn
The desk is covered with a seemingly endless amount engraved on the door frame have been scratched out with
of pages discussing necro-alchemy; the art of creating a blade, and the door is slightly ajar. The square-framed
undead abominations called “skaabs.” Standing out windows reveal nothing on the inside; the house is pitch
amongst the notes is one opened letter (APPENDIX C). black.
The letter is encoded: deciphering the requires Letter
Frequency Analysis to break the code; for example, A DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check notices about a dozen
wherever the letter “z” appears it should be replaced with humanoid footprints moving to and from the entrance.
the letter “a,” replacing each letter this way reveals the The vampires smashed the mirror and scratched out the
hidden message. You can run this puzzle multiple ways: holy wards before entering the house.
• The players figure out and translate the entire letter A dark presence has gripped the house ever since the
themselves night the vampires attacked (see “Background: Voldaren’s
• The players figure out and translate a portion of the Lesson”).
letter, then hand them the fully decoded version Magical Darkness. The insides of the house is enveloped
• Let the characters make an Intelligence (Investigation) in a pitch-black magical darkness that functions as the
DC 15 check to crack the code Darkness spell, except that light sources do work to an

22
Chapter 2: Shadowgrange
extent, offering dim light within a radius of 15ft. – beyond Katarina.
that is total darkness. If the darkness is dispelled, by Slumped beside one of the walls is the decaying corpse
Daylight or something else, it returns 1d6 rounds later. of Ralph Brunn, the source of all the blood. The vampires
Spooky Stuff. In addition to the magical darkness, feel had some “fun” with him. The mayor’s body still wears
free to add any flourishes to this haunted house as you his mithral chain shirt (DMG 187) underneath his clothes
see fit. For example, a wall may suddenly begin to bleed, -- not that it helped him in the end.
the eyes of portraits may follow the PCs, a random PC
might hear voices or see figures for a brief moment before Second Floor
they disappear. Have fun with it! The staircase leads up to the second floor. The hallway to
the right leads to two bedrooms: Ralph’s and Katarina’s.
The Restless Spirit To the left is the music room, where the hand-smeared
The late mayor’s restless spirit now haunts the house as a trail of blood leads to.
poltergeist (MM 279). Putting him to rest is the only way Ralph’s bedroom has everything you’d expect in a well-
to rid of the house’s haunting. off village leader’s room. Underneath his bed is a sturdy,
Ralph senses the character’s intrusion and stalks them unlocked wooden chest holding some emergency savings.
as they explore the house. Though he moves in complete It contains 60 sp, 40 gp, and a silk pouch containing five
silence and is permanently invisible, the characters feel tiger eyes (10 gp each) and two moonstones (50 gp each).
his presense; the air grows cold, a chill runs up their Amongst the nice variety of clothing in his closet are two
spine, and they feel they’re being watched. pairs of priestly cloth-of-gold vestments with Avacyn’s
Ralph will make his displeasure known if the party Collar embroidered on the front and back, each worth 25
attempts to loot or otherwise disrespect his home by gp.
telekintetically shaking or throwing furniture. Katarina’s bedroom is also fairly mundane. Her
Characters can possibly avoid the spirit’s ire by wardrobe contains a set of battle-worn cathar leathers,
convincing Ralph that they are trying to help. By explaining the uniform of holy warriors of the Church of Avacyn and
that they’re here on behalf of the Church, or that they want functions as studded leather (see “Armor” in the rule
to help the people of Shadowgrange, or other compelling book). Unlike her father, Katarina’s closet lacks an array
arguments that they can think of, they may be able to get of regal clothing; she was more interested in fighting and
Ralph’s spirit to back down and maybe even stop haunting doing in practical clothing instead of playing politics in
the house. If they make a reasonable argument, allow a pretty dresses.
character to make a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check There is an unsealed letter tucked into a book on
to get Ralph to back down. Katarina’s desk, which can be found with a thorough
Spooky Mirrors. While Ralph is permanently invisible search of the room and a DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation)
to the naked eye as a poltgergeist, his spectral reflection check. The letter is written by her and is addressed to
still appears in the dozens of mirrors littering the walls her uncle, Hanns Reinhart. In it, Katarina begs her uncle
(PICTURE). to come to Shadowgrange at once, as she needs his
expertise on silver and the moon to unlock a puzzle of
Ground Floor “great importance.” Apparrently Hanns has disappeared
Inside, assuming the characters have a light source: for years now, but Katarina is convinced that he is still
alive somewhere, and this letter is the last of many sent to
Shards of glass and dried blood litter the entryway floor. all the safe houses of his that Katarina knows of.
A hallway leads to two rooms ahead. A bloody handprint
trails along the wall out of the closest room and onto the Music Room
staircase’s handrail, which spirals up around the large The hallway opens up into a large ornate room with an
hawthorn tree growing in the center of the house and up arched ceiling. Paintings line the wall, along with smashed
to the second floor. mirrors. In each corner of the room are instruments: a
piano with a pile of sheet music placed on it, a violin on
The two rooms on the main floor are the kitchen in the back a stand, a harp, and a bloody flute on the floor next to a
and the common room. The kitchen has been untouched, knocked over music stand.
but the common room is (quite literally) a bloody mess.
There are clear signs of battle such as slashed furniture There are a few music instruments in this room: a piano,
and scorch marks. Blood splatters cover the walls and a bloody flute, a harp, and a violin of banishing light (see
ceilings. It was here the vampires clashed with Ralph and APPENDIX A).

23
Chapter 2: Shadowgrange
 There are also three paintings: one depicts a canary retrieve from the chest the Strionic Resonator. The artifact
sitting in a rusted bird cage beside a locked chest, another is not whole: the tuning fork is missing one of its prongs
shows a flight of angels driving back demons emerging (tines). It was cleanly removed; Katarina gave the piece to
from a fiery chasm, and the last one is a portrait of a regal Siegfried for safekeeping the night the vampires attacked,
looking man with a handlebar mustache; Bernard Brunn, gambling that the Voldarens may find one piece, but not
grandfather of Ralph Brunn. both.
After messily murdering Ralph, a few vampires
sauntered upstairs for a little entertainment. The bloody- Developments
handed vampire played on the flute for a bit before they When Ralph’s ghost is either destroyed or appeased, the
got bored and left. They also smashed the mirrors so they darkness shrouding the house disappears. Priestess Flora
didn’t have to look at their own monstrous reflections. happily pays the party what they’re owed (see “Chapel”)
and gives them the key to the alchemist’s shop.
Music Puzzle Word quickly spreads throughout the village of the
The following is a puzzle using sheet music (APPENDIX party’s deeds. Villagers will be much friendlier to the
C) as props. You can run the puzzle multiple ways: characters, thankful to have strong adventurers in their
If a a player can read sheet music, let them figure it out midst during these bleak times.
• Bard characters can automatically read sheet music None of the villagers know what the artifact is, other
• Characters proficient in a musical instrument can than pointing out that it looks like a tuning fork with a piece
automatically read sheet music missing. Flora knows that Katarina was experimenting
• Silvia, the fletcher at Fleeting Fox Provisions, is known with something on behalf of the Church, and that the only
in town to be a talented violinist. If the characters ask other people that may have known about it would be her
around for someone that can read sheet music, they father, Ralph (dead), and her fiancee, Siegfried (fled).
are pointed to her. If the characters aren’t tight-lipped about the artifact,
word about it could spread and may catch the attention
The piles of sheet music on the piano are mostly of of dangerous folk (the Skirsdag or worse) that would be
popular songs known to Innistrad natives, but a thorough more than happy to “relieve” the adventurers of their new-
search of the room and an Intelligence (Investigation) found item.
check DC 15 notices that two sheets of music buried in
piles of paper stand out from the rest. Both have been Awarding Experience Points
hurriedly written on with ink (Katarina wrote on them right Divide 450 XP equally among the characters if the party
before the impending vampire attack). One says “READ,” deals with Ralph’s spirit.
the other says “PLAY.” Neither of them are songs that a Divide 1,250 XP equally among the characters if the
local would recognize. See APPENDIX C for copies of the party recovers the Strionic Resonator.
sheets.
The “PLAY” sheet has a song on it that wants to be
played. Any song will do, but the song used during this
adventure’s playtest was Pan’s Labyrinth: Lullaby. If anyone
Conclusion of Part 2
Part 3 begins after the adventurers retrieve the Strionic
starts playing the song, either on an instrument, singing, Resonator. You may choose to delay Part 3 if the
or humming, characters feel a sudden compulsion to pick adventurers still intend to explore the town further, as this
up the violin of banishing light. If they do, they find out may be their final opportunity to do so.
that they can play the song even if they have no experience
with a violin before. Playing the song activates the violin’s
magical properties (see APPENDIX A) (PICTURE), Milestone: Level 3!
flooding the room with light as the Daylight spell, and If you are using Milestone Experience, then the characters
driving back the darkness. The Daylight spell ends as attain 3rd level as you move to Part 3.
soon as the character stops playing.
The “READ” sheet has music notes that, when you look
at the corresponding letters, spell out “AGED CAGE”.
One of the paintings on the wall is of a canary sitting in a
rusted bird cage – an aged cage. Saying, “aged cage,” out
loud opens the chest in the painting with an audible creak.
Once opened, a character can reach into the painting
(which now acts as a portal to a tiny pocket plane) and

24
Chapter 2: Shadowgrange
 Art by Peter Mohrbacher

Part 3: Night of the Dead Siegfried had devoted his life to defending the village from
the horrors that stalk Stensia; most of all, the vampires
This chapter begins shortly after the adventurers find the that kidnapped his neighbours for leisurely meals.
Strionic Resonator in the previous chapter. If the players Together with his like-minded fiancée, Katarina Brunn,
do not have any intention of locating the artifact, or they they tried to rally the people to fight back and strengthen
still have other intended goals in town, you may choose to their defenses. But with Avacyn’s disappearance and the
start this chapter after the players have had sufficient time protective wards surrounding the village failing, Siegfried
to rest, explore Shadowgrange, and restock on supplies. became more and more desperate for answers to save his
people.
Three years ago, Siegfried finally acquiesced to his
Undead Menace cousin, Geralf’s, suggestion: he began to study necro-
alchemy, the foul art of bestowing life into stitched together
Events are unfolding beyond the scope of the characters’
activities: an army of undead are currently on a murderous corpses to create unholy abominations called skaabs.
rampage, laying waste to all the settlements in their way. The alchemist perfected his craft in secret underneath
Shadowgrange is their ultimate target. his shop, waiting for the day that he could drive back the
vampire threat with his stitched army.
When the Voldaren vampires came, murdered the
The Horde’s Purpose mayor Ralph and kidnapped Katarina, something inside
Siegfried snapped. He vowed revenge not only upon
The army is a mad project crafted by Siegfried, an alchemist
that formerly called Shadowgrange his beloved home. the accursed vampires that killed his beloved, but also
the cowardly villagers that stood idly as it all happened.

25
Chapter 3: Night of the Dead
The alchemist fled from his home and traveled north to nothing else.
the abandoned Mauer Estate, where he’s been working
tirelessly to make his dreams of vengeance a reality. • How many are there? It was impossible to tell when
To defeat his hated vampire foes, Siegfried needs bodies. the attack happened. One moment a fog rolled in,
Lots of them. To this end, the alchemist has teamed up the next they were everywhere. But we saw them
with a young necromancer named Rinelda Smitt. Together, again across the valley as we fled. Hundreds of them,
they’ve raised a zombie horde to ravage the countryside. definitely.
Rinelda leads the horde, destroying all settlements in
her way and sending the corpses of her victims back to • Where did they come from? When we saw them, they
Mauer Estate, where Siegfried uses them to construct already were all around us. But all the walking dead
abominations to challenge the Voldaren vampires. In his had dried mud up to their waists. You get muddy like
twisted mind, the alchemist believes this a fitting end for that from walking through the farbog (swamp) north
his fellow countrymen, as their cowardly betrayal in life of Mordov, so I reckon that’s where they came from.
will be redeemed when they serve him in death.
• Was it just zombies? No. It was mostly undead
villagers, but I caught a glimpse of two hulking
Refugees monstrosities lumbering about. They were twice my
Word quickly spreads in Shadowgrange that a large group height and had the strength of ten men – in fact,
of refugees have arrived from a neighbouring settlement. judging by the number of arms sticking out of the
A group of cathars meets them at the village gate and creatures, they very well could’ve been made of ten
escorts them to the marketplace, where priests from the men! The abominations were smashing down doors
chapel (including Flora) arrive to help treat the wounded. and swatting away cathars like flies. But the worst
Cathars and curious villagers alike crowd around the thing I saw was a human walking amongst these
refugees to find out what happened. brutes. A teenaged girl chanting and waving a symbol
The refugees hail from Mordov, a settlement one day around – I don’t know what it was. She was laughing
north of Shadowgrange. Yesterday, Mordov was attacked and prancing around as we were being slaughtered
by an army of walking dead – these twenty-six refugees left and right. Laughing! It must’ve been one of those
are the only ones that managed to escape. The refugees vile necromancers that command the dead. How
distanced themselves from the zombie horde with their could something so young be so wicked?
three carriages and horses.
If the characters interview the survivors and voice any • Did you see Siegfried? A man by that name came
of the following statements or questions, the refugees through our village a few months ago. He was in a
respond as indicated: foul mood and avoided small talk. He rested, stocked
up on supplies, and then headed into the farbog to the
• What happened? A fog rolled in from the farbog north north, despite us telling him it was a suicidie mission.
of Mordov. It was thicker than usual and carried a stiff Never heard anything of him since then.
chill. Many in town knew it to be a bad omen. They
were right. Next we heard the screams. The restless Developments
dead were upon us. The shambling remains of folk The refugees have more dire news for the crowd around
like you and me attacked the living, biting, tearing… them: as they fled, the survivors saw brief glimpses of
Avacyn protect us! the horde beginning to move south, in the direction of
Shadowgrange. At the rate they were moving, they’d reach
• How’d you escape? Us few that survived were the this village in two days.
lucky ones standing near the stables when the undead Panic ensues when this information is revealed.
attacked. We took any horses still there, along with the Stensians are stoic folk and dealing with horrors is a
carriages, and rounded up as many folk as we could. grim fact of life, but an entire horde of undead bent on
Then we made a blind ride out into the fog. Many of their annihilation isn’t something they’ve ever had to
us didn’t make it… face before. The cathars do their best to maintain order
amongst the crowd.
• What attacked your village? The walking dead. Corpses Once she hears about the impending attack, priestess
that should be in the ground, peaceful in the Blessed Flora seeks out the adventurers. A meeting of the village
Sleep. They shambled towards us with pitiless eyes. leaders is to be called immediately and she asks for the
All they wanted to do was tear us apart. Cared for characters to join them.

26
Chapter 3: Night of the Dead
Art by Svetlin Velinov

Captain Levi stands ready to defend Shadowgrange and its people.

they’ll be here in a matter of days. We must figure out

what is to be done.”
Ill Tidings
With rumors of an undead horde approaching, the leaders
There are two main options to discuss: defend the town
of Shadowgrange call a council meeting to determine
or evacuate.
what should be done. As the most capable adventurers in
If they defend the town, Captain Levi has 40 cathars
town, the PCs are invited.
under his command and believes he can conscript an
Priestess Flora summons the adventurers to thw town
additional 100 townsfolk (hunters, farmers, tradesfolk) of
hall at the Visgaud Grounds, where Eckhardt Sheckt
varying combat prowess. Priestess Flora and her ten clergy
(proprieter of the Silver Rose Inn and retired cathar) and
members can provide divine support to the troops, and
Captain Levi (leader of the village militia) are waiting.
she can call up ten trained bowyers (the Moontouched
Sisters and others) to fight as well.
You are all gathered in the town hall. Here with you are
If they evacuate, there are smaller settlements south of
Eckhardt, the owner of Silver Rose inn; and Captain
Shadowgrange within a day’s journey. The next biggest
Levi, leader of Shadowgrange’s local cathars. Along with
settlement is the rancher community called Lammas, two
Priestess Flora, these people comprise the Town Council.
days away. Finally, the greatest military strength nearby is
“Well, you all know why we’re here,” Flora says without
Silbern, a small community built around Silbern Tower.
preamble. “If what these refugees say is true, there’s a
This tower is a lodging and base of operations for a group
horde of undead rampaging through the countryside and
of cathars called the Silbern Guard, about a hundred

27
Chapter 3: Night of the Dead
trained fighters. Silbern is three days away to the east. Awarding Experience Points
These are the two options that the council members will Divide 600 XP equally among the characters if the
argue for, but the characters can come up with different party succeeds in persuading the council to adopt their
ideas as well. preferred course of action.

This is a chance for the players to throw in their own

advice about how Shadowgrange should meet the threat. Attacking the Horde
The council members have their own opinions. Bringing the fight to the undead horde would be suicidal. In
Eckhardt: Grim. A seasoned ex-cathar himself, Eckhardt total, the horde is comprised of 400 zombies, 20 skeletons,
has his doubts that the village walls can hold, and once 3 skaab goliaths, and a necromancer. The adventurers
they’re breached, the zombies would easily overrun the and any of the townsfolk they’d bring with them would
village. He advocates evacuation. “We don’t have enough be greatly outnumbered. The only chance of victory in
cathars to hold off a zombie horde. We need to start battle is to fight them atop Shadowgrange’s walls, where
evacuating the village and get the people south.” the defenders can utilize their ranged advantage while the
Levi: Also grim, but more optimistic. Levi points out horde is kept at bay.
that the roads south are narrow and dangerous. Trying The characters can employ hit-and-run tactics while
to protect a thousand evacuating villagers would be next the horde travels, however. Executed properly, it can
to impossible and there will bound to be casualties. He wittle away their numbers before the real engagement at
advocates defending the village. “The gates and walls Shadowgrange. But make sure to emphasize the sheer
will hold. If the undead cannot breach out defense, their magnitude of undead moving together, so the characters
superior numbers will mean nothing.” are well aware that attacking head-on would be incredibly
Flora: Stubborn and fatalistic. Flora sees abandoning foolish and lethal.
the village as an ultimate failure. Countless generations Adventurers leaving immediately northward can easily
are buried in the village crypt, resting eternally in The find the advancing horde within a day’s journey (the horde
Blessed Sleep, and they cannot be forsaken. She advocates moves slowly as a group, moving at half the speed of
fighting to the bitter end if need be. “Our destiny is in traveling adventurers). Riding horses will shave off a few
Avacyn’s hands. She would not want us to abandon our more hours of travel time.
ancestors.” The horde moves as a loosely organized group herded
in the right direction by Rinelda Smitt, a necromancer that
This is an encounter best resolved through roleplaying. stays in the center of the group. Five large wooden wagons
Let the characters argue their case for whichever response are pulled along with the horde by zombies, which are
they favor. If you feel they have argued persuasively, their used to collect corpses to send back to Mauer Estate.
position should carry the day. This horde isn’t so much an “army” as an abnormally
Since the characters are probably arguing for a position large group of undead wandering in the same direction.
favored by at least one of the council members, all they They do not have formations or follow complex tactics.
really need to do is convince the ones that disagree. Any undead that spots the adventurers will instinctively
attack. If they lose sight of the adventurers, or if they stray
too far from the herd, they head back.
Developments Attacking outlying zombies causes some of the
Once the council has settled on a decision, they quickly
closest undead to take notice. If they spot the assailants,
go about relaying orders. If the town is to be defended,
the zombies shamble forward to attack. This triggers a
skip down to “Defending Shadowgrange.” For details to
domino effect as more and more undead notice what’s
evacuate, go to “Evacuation.”
going on and join the battle.
Hours after the council meeting begins, the scouting
The horde comes in waves, with the first wave
group led by Silvia confirms that the zombie horde is
representing outlier zombies furthest from the horde’s
indeed traveling towards Shadowgrange from the north. It
center and moves to involve higher concentrations of
is comprised of about four hundred zombies, three large
undead more central to the horde until you get to the fifth
stitched abominations, two dozen skeletons, and a female
wave, the center of the horde where Rinelda resides. The
human that seems to be herding them. At their pace, the
necromancer is nearly impossible to spot in the crowd.
horde should arrive in two days.
When a wave joins the battle, the following wave joins
1d6+2 rounds after.

28
Chapter 3: Night of the Dead
First Wave a few rounds before returning to their previous position.
3 zombies (MM 316) (PICTURE) rush forward to attack If Rinelda is defeated, the horde carry out their last
the characters closest to them. They start by grappling the command and still march in the direction of Shadowgrange,
target. If the target is grappled, they use their slam attack. but fifty zombies wander the wrong way and are deducted
from the horde’s total.
Rinelda Smitt insane. The teen lost her parents at a very
Second Wave young age and has survived in the wilderness purely off
4 zombies arrive using the same tactics as above, along
her talents in necromancy. She is devoid of empathy for
with 1 skeleton (MM 272)that hangs back and fires with
her victims, seeing humans as useful only as resources
its shortbow.
to raid for food, clothing, shelter, and their corpses for
undead. The only thing she understands and respects is
Third Wave power. If her life is on the line, she’ll explain her partnership
8 zombies from deeper inside the horde join the fray, with Siegfried, and how she’s culling the land to bring him
along with 2 skeletons. Same tactics as above. corpses for his experiments (see “The Horde’s Purpose”).
Rinelda respects Siegfried’s talents and hopes to learn
Fourth Wave everything she can as his apprentice before inevitably
13 zombies, 1 skeleton, and 1 skaab goliath (APPENDIX murdering him and taking over his residence.
B) (PICTURE). Same tactics as above, while the goliath Rinelda carries basic necessities (clothing, food) along
wades into battle swinging its morningstar. This is close with a ghoulcaller’s bell (APPENDIX A) (PICTURE), and a
to the horde’s center. large pouch containing 90 ep and 70 gp. On her person is
a note written by Siegfried, reminding the teen to collect
Fifth Wave everything she can find in his shop’s basement, from
20 zombies, 5 skeletons, 2 skaab goliaths, and Rinelda papers to alchemical supplies.
Smitt (APPENDIX B) (PICTURE). This is the horde’s
center. Defending Shadowgrange
If the characters choose to defend the town, they can
Same tactics as above. Rinelda tries to stay out of melee. spend the time before the horde arrives by preparing the
She prefers to first cast spiritual weapon and sacred flame town’s defenses. Let the characters lead the discussion on
on her first turn, and on the following turn try to disable what to do during this time. The council members respect
the most threatening adventurer with hold person. If the opinions of capable adventurers, especially when it
pressed into melee, she casts inflict wounds. comes to battle, and they’ll follow the party’s initiative for
planning.
Developments Adventurers are a delightfully creative and unpredictable
Deduct any destroyed undead from the horde’s total. bunch and you should encourage their plans if reasonable.
Write down which undead were destroyed so you can Reward good planning, whatever it may be. In addition
update the horde’s numbers in the upcoming siege. to the character’s ideas, the council members also voice
If at any point the characters flee, the undead chase for opinions on what to do. These preparation quests will yield
benefits in the battle to come (see “Running the Siege”):
• Warding the Walls. Priestess Flora thinks she
can re-ignite the holy wards that used to protect
Shadowgrange’s walls, but she’ll need help doing
so. Any character with proficiency in Intelligence
(Religion) can choose to aid her in performing the
holy rituals to infuse the walls with holy energy. If at
least one character does, Flora and that character can
re-arm the wards by spending eight hours devoted to
carrying out the ritual. Each additional character aiding
in the ritual reduces the time required by four hours.
On success: The walls radiate a faint divine magic.
Lesser undead, such as zombies and skeletons,
are repelled from getting too close, and the skaab
goliaths in “Assault on the Gate” scenario take longer

Art by John Stanko

29
Chapter 3: Night of the Dead
 Art by David Palumbo

to destroy the gate.

• Finding Runners. Captain Levi suggests finding
suitable messengers amongst the conscripted
townsfolk to relay information between the
characters and council members. This way they
can better coordinate their defences during the
battle. Any character can approach a townsperson
to be a runner. Convincing a person to take the job
requires a Charisma (Diplomacy) check DC 10.
On success: The characters have messengers to keep
them informed of how the battle progresses. In the
“Defending the Breach” scenario, they characters can
arrive earlier, saving more defenders and are rewarded
with an additional influence dice. oncoming attack. These conscripted commoners gather
• Boosting Morale. Eckhardt Sheck knows that the in the town square bringing whatever weapons they have,
conscripted townsfolk are terrified of the approaching from hunting bows to pitchforks, where they await orders.
horde. These people are not fighters; they are farmers, The rest of the townsfolk rush to evacuate precious
shepherds, and tradesmen. They need a confidence belongings from their outlying homes and farms to the
boost to have them perform well in battle. Any character safety of Shadowgrange’s walls. Noncombatants are
can try to raise the hopes of the conscripted townsfolk. squeezed into the town chapel, which is reinforced with
They can do so in numerous ways, from a rousing makeshift barricades.
speech, playing up the strengths of the adventurers, Once the civilians are accounted for, the cathars and
showing the commoners how to properly wield their conscripted soldiers will work day and night to reinforce
weapons, squashing any talks of hopelessness, the gate and build makeshift barricades along the main
or any other reasonable idea the characters come path leading to the market square.
up with. An appropriate skill check DC 15 inspires Free Pots. The clergy members seek out the adventurers.
confidence in the conscripts witnessing this. They are well aware that the characters’ prowess will play
On success: Defenders that witness the character’s a critical factor in defending the town, so they give them
actions are inspired, fighting more effectively in the four healing potions for the fight.
siege, dealing more damage to the skaab goliaths in
the “Assault on the Gate” scenario.
• More Conscripts. Captain Levi points out that the Awarding Experience Points
undead horde still greatly outnumber the defenders. Divide 900 XP equally among the characters if the party
To help increase the chances of survival, a weapon aids the town in preparing defenses.
should be put into the hands of any person that can
hold it. Levi suggests more aggressively conscripting Evacuation?
any person able to wield a weapon, including children This adventure assumes most parties will decide to stand
and the elderly. It will take convincing on the part of the their ground and defend Shadowgrange. However, they
characters to make this happen, however, as parents can choose to flee from the oncoming undead horde. Or
will be reluctant to send their young ones to battle. perhaps they evacuate the town, lure the undead inside,
As in the “Boosting Morale” quest, the characters can and then set the place on fire, destroying both the town
be creative with their ways and pass an appropriate but also the horde if done correctly. There is no “wrong”
skill DC to conscript the children and elderly. way to attack this problem.
On success: The characters can conscript up to 50 Should the characters choose to flee or evacuate, there
additional young and elderly commoners. These are a few settlements not far from Shadowgrange that
commoners help deal additional damage to the skaab they can travel to. None have the defensible stone walls of
goliaths in the “Assault on the Gate” scenario. Shadowgrange, but all are encircled by a moat and some
sort of physical barrier, such as wooden palisades or at
Add any other quests that you feel are appropriate to the the very least somewhat defensible trenches. The closest
situation. settlement is a day away.
As the characters go about preparing, so do the rest There are two notable settlements fairly close to
of the townsfolk. Shadowgrange’s cathars calls upon Shadowgrange. The first is Lammas, a rancher community
all able-bodied citizens to take up arms against the stable village two days away. The second is Silbern, a

30
Chapter 3: Night of the Dead
small community built around Silbern Tower, a lodging An undead army marches on Shadowgrange and its
and base of operations for a local group of cathars called defenders are prepared to meet them in battle. Keeping
the Silbern Guard. Three days away, this community has track of hundreds of combatants, including their individual
the largest concentration of cathars in Stensia, with a little stats and rolls, would be impossible. Instead, it’s
over a hundred trained fighters ready to take up arms. recommended to run the siege by keeping the adventures
It’s dangerous to travel through Stensia, as the and their personal action as the focus like any other battle,
adventurers probably know already. You may wish to run with the greater battle around them being told mostly
some of the random encounters from Part 1 while the through story rather than dice rolls.
characters travel to other settlements. Lesser undead, With this method, the battle rages on as a backdrop:
fiends, beasts, and bandits roam preying on travelers. the focus is on the fight between the characters and their
The zombie horde is on a rampage through the entire enemies. The larger conflict takes place “offstage,” and
countryside. Their sole purpose is to slay the living and is only relevant to the extent that it helps or hinders the
return the corpses back to Siegfried in Mauer Estate. If characters.
the characters retreat from Shadowgrange, the horde The adventurers will act as Shadowgrange’s elite
continues moving south, slaughtering all communities defense unit in the battle, sent to deal with the toughest,
along the way. Any settlement in the outland valleys of most dangerous missions. The result of these missions
Stensia will be attacked eventually. Maybe the adventurers will determine the ultimate fate of Shadowgrange itself.
team up with the Silbern Guard and take on the horde at Don’t bother tracking the hit points of the various
a different location. Roll with the player’s ideas and it will combatants, except the ones the adventurers are actively
all work out in the end. fighting. Just describe the carnage as the defenders
and horde battle it out, while the characters take on the
Running the Siege toughest part of the enemy forces. A short sentence or

31
Art by Ryan Pancoast
two at the end of a round or the end of a battle is great Shadowgrange. It’s night, and none of the defenders
to maintain the players’ awareness of the ongoing battle (except maybe an adventurer) has darkvision to see.
around them and keeps them immersed. Unless the adventurers are attacking, or have provided
the other defenders a way to see the approaching horde,
Captain Levi orders his crossbowmen and archers to hold
Thinning the Numbers fire until they can get a clear shot.
If the PCs destroyed some of the advancing horde in If the adventurers ride out to attack the approaching
“Attacking the Horde” or otherwise, deduct the destroyed horde, use the stats given in “Attacking the Horde” section
creatures from the horde’s total numbers here. If the earlier.
adventurers destroyed any of the three skaab goliaths, When the horde (PICTURE) arrives at the walls, read or
some of the following encounters need to be changed: paraphrase:
• If one goliath was destroyed prior to the siege, then
there is no goliath present at the “Defending the They arrive in the dead of night: hundreds of shambling
Breach” battle, making it much easier. humanoids. In the moonlight, their figures silhouettes
• Any additional skaab goliaths destroyed prior to the can be seen, along with glimpses of their rotted faces.
siege (up to three) are subtracted from the “Assault As they near the walls, torches illuminate their hideous
on the Gate” battle, which gives a huge advantage to appearances. The zombies move towards Shadowgrange
hold the gate. with a strange urgency; splashing and flailing in the
moat’s waters, scrambling over each other to reach the
Horde Tactics walls, lashing at the gate, tearing, ripping, growling.
The undead horde’s attack comes during the dead of Lumbering forward, towering over the other zombies,
night, where they can take advantage of their darkvision. are two stitched abominations. Six powerful arms and
Shadowgrange’s defenders have at least the light of the three heads are attached to each mass of muscle. These
stars and the moon to see by, along with torches lining creatures stride easily through the moat’s waters and
their walls to illuminate anyone beside their defenses. The move towards Shadowgrange’s gates, where they start
attack is led by Rinelda Smitt, a necromancer herding the start pummeling it with armor-plated fists, shaking the
horde towards Shadowgrange. barricade with each blow. Captain Levi begins to yell and
The horde’s attack is organized into stages, detailed wave a torch to get attention. “Bowmen! Take out those
below. The actions of the characters can disrupt these beasts! Now!”
stages; they are presented here as they would play out if
the characters weren’t on hand to aid in Shadowgrange’s 2 skaab goliaths (APPENDIX B) (PICTURE) begin leading
defense. the attack on the gate. They smash the gate each round,
Stage 1: The undead horde advances on Shadowgrange. unless something prevents them from doing so. The gate
The majority of zombies, led by two skaabs, shambles can take 10 hits (or 5 rounds of both hitting) total from
forward to break down the gate, while skeleton archers the skaabs before being breached. Captain Levi is aware
fire at any defenders they see. of the danger they pose and barks out orders to take them
Stage 2: A secondary force of undead attacks led by one down. If the adventurers completed the quest “Warding
skaab breaches the wall, away from the main fighting at the Walls,” the gate instead can take 12 hits total before
the gate. being breached.
Stage 3: Swarms of undead pour through gaps in the The defenders on the walls begin raining down crossbow
city defenses created by the skaabs and begin wreaking bolts and arrows upon the goliaths, dealing 22 damage per
havoc. round divided between the two goliaths unless specifically
Stage 4: The undead horde fully enters Shadowgrange, told to aim at one. If the adventurers completed the quest
routing the defenders to the chapel. “Boosting Morale” or “More Conscripts,” the damage per
Stage 5: Rinelda Smitt personally leads an assault on round is increased by 4 per quest completed.
the chapel, looking to finish off the remaining defenders. To make matters worse, as the order is given to bring
down the goliaths, screams can be heard from atop the
walls. 20 skeleton archers (MM 272) pepper the bowmen
atop the walls, using their darkvision to fire from 40 feet
away. The constant barrage hampers the defender’s ability
to take down the goliaths.
Assault on the Gate For every five skeletons the adventurers take out, the
The horde are traversing the valley and approaching
defending bowmen can fire more freely, increase their

32
Chapter 3: Night of the Dead
damage on the goliaths by +2 each round. characters enlisted as a runner, and they’re given an earlier
warning that a wall is soon to be breached.
Developments
If the skaab goliaths are taken out before the gate is
breached by them, then the gate holds. Regular zombies
stumble over the fallen goliaths to claw at the gate, but
their assault is far weaker than the skaab’s. Defending the Breach
If the gate is breached, all is not lost. Eckhardt and his The undead have breached one of the walls and have
soldiers, a mix of cathars and conscripts, stand ready to begun pouring in. Without the adventurers intervening at
meet the surge of undead that rush through the broken the breach, that position will almost assuredly be overrun.
gate. Their goal is to drive the undead back long enough If the gate has been breached and the adventurers decide
to repair the broken gate. to defend it instead, you can configure the following
Regardless of the outcome, a messenger runs over encounter to work for that too.
to the adventurers shortly after either the gate is saved/ Once the adventurers arrive at the breach, read or
breached. The bloodied soldier comes bearing grim news: paraphrase:
one of the far side walls have been breached. The undead
are breaking through, and her squadron of soldiers have The warm glow of fire can be seen over the rooftops ahead
been taking heavy losses trying to hold their position. of you, where the sounds of fighting can be heard. As you
Captain Levi will ask the adventurers to reinforce the turn the corner, you see two wooden cabins aflame next
breach. to the wall, illuminating the scene in front of you. Fighting
If the adventurers completed the quest “Finding amidst the bright glow in a tight formation are the cathars,
Runners,” the messenger is one of the people the clashing with dozens of undead humanoids. More still

Art by Volkan Baga

33
 Possible effects include:

Help Hindrance
A cathar fires a crossbow A zombie catches a
bolt into an enemy that character unaware with a
one of the characters is slammed fist into its back,
engaged with. The enemy dealing 4 damage.
takes 4 damage.
A gust of spectral wind is One zombie or skeleton
Art by Raymond Swanland felt as the spirit of Saint joins the battle.
Traft materializes on the
battlefield and swings his
pour into the street from a breach in the wall 10 feet wide, greatsword at the PC’s
clambering over the stone debris and eagerly rushing to enemy, dealing 2d6+5
the living defenders. “By Avacyn’s Might, we hold!” shouts damage and knocking
a cathar, even as the soldiers are slowly pushed back. the target prone, before
his spirit is swept away
elsewhere by the wind.
If the adventurers leave for the breach quickly, then they
find a heated battle between the invading undead and the The clergy member rushes Zombies dogpile on one
village defenders. A dozen soldiers fight here against ever- over to a wounded charac- of the cathars and start
increasing numbers of zombies. These eleven cathars ter and casts cure wounds, devouring his flesh as his
statted as guards (MM 347), along with a single clergy healing 7 hit points, before comrades fight desperate-
member (treat her as a priest [MM 348] without Divine rejoining the cathars in ly to save him.
Eminence, no 2nd or 3rd level spells, and only 10 HP). the background battle.
If the adventurers took their time getting here, or didn’t A cathar joins the party’s The upper half of a zombie
complete the “Finding Runners” quest, five of these battle, rushing to help the latches onto a random
cathars are dead when they arrive. most wounded looking PC’s legs, restraining the
The cathars’ goal is to push the undead out long enough character. PC. Strength check DC 10
to barricade the breach, but they don’t have the numbers to escape the restraint.
to do so. Only with the adventurer’s help in the fight can
they hope to accomplish their task. Waves of Undead
In order to hold the line and drive the undead back, the
Optional: Influence Dice characters must defeat several waves of increasingly
In this battle, the adventurers are given their own targets dangerous attackers while the cathars fight their own
to eliminate while the cathars fight their own battles with undead foes in the background. Allow each wave’s
the undead in the background. To help illustrate the fight, resulting combat to play out, then let the next wave
you may consider using this optional Influence Dice arrive one or two rounds after. This gives the characters
mechanic, where the combatants in the backdrop can still a small window to ready themselves for the next fight.
influence the party’s battle while still being rolls-light. Alternatively, if the characters are finding combat too easy,
Represent the background defender’s influence in the you can have subsequent waves arrive faster.
fight with two Ally Dice (d6’s), or only one dice if five
cathars are already dead. Represent the background First Wave
undead’s influence with three Enemy Dice. 3 zombies (MM 316) rush forward to attack the characters
At the end of each round, roll the dice for each side. closest to them, along with 3 skeletons (MM 272) that
For every 6 in the result, that side does something that hang back and fire at the characters with their shortbows.
affect’s the party’s fight. If the 6 is a result of the Ally Dice If you are using Influence Dice, remove one of the
roll, it’s a help; if it’s a result of the Enemy Dice roll, it’s a Enemy Dice after the party defeats the first wave.
hindrance.
For every result of 5, that side does something that affects
the party’s fight, but at a negative cost to themeselves.

34
Chapter 3: Night of the Dead
Second Wave with her remaining forces.
Many undead fall, yet more pour in through the breach. • If either the gate or wall breach was lost, then Rinelda
An anguished, unearthly chorus of shrieks is heard enters through that location with her remaining forces.
from above. Swooping down into the battle is a spectral • If both the gates and the wall breach were lost,
humanoid figure draped in tattered rags and dangling iron then the undead overrun the outer defenses. The
chains. The shrieking emits from large gaping mouths all defenders are routed, and a messenger comes to the
over its body that glow an intense bright blue. adventurers telling them to regroup at the chapel.
The adventurers have enough time for a short rest
A shriekgeist (PICTURE), statted as a specter (MM 279), before an overconfident Rinelda leads the final assault
has been lured to the ensuing carnage like a moth to a against the chapel, calling out any champions to face
flame. It attacks the adventurers with incomprehensible her.
hatred.
2 zombies and 2 skeletons also join the battle using the Necromancer Confrontation
same tactics as above. A messenger arrives from Captain Levi, requiring the
If you are using Influence Dice, remove one of the party’s immediate assistance: a necromancer has arrived
Enemy Dice after the party defeats the second wave. and is cutting through his troops. The adventurers are
needed to stop her onslaught.
Third Wave When the characters arrive, dozens of defenders and
A low, booming roar is heard from the wall, followed zombies are locked in battle. Rinelda Smitt stands out
by shouts of surprise and despair as a hulking stitched amongst the crowd, squaring off with Captain Levi. The
abomination heaves itself through the breach. It swings cathar commander, statted as a thug (MM 350; Lawful
morningstar down at the nearest cathar, slamming the Good), is barely hanging in there -- he’s down to 10 hit
poor human deep into the earth with a sickening crunch points and suffering from 1 level of exhaustion. Rinelda is
and a spatter of blood. More zombies squeeze through as toying with him using her spiritual weapon (in the form of
the skaab moves forward. a spectral dagger) to stab at him.
If you want to use Influence Dice in this battle, represent
2 zombies, 1 skeleton, and 1 skaab goliath (APPENDIX B) the defenders fighting here with two Ally Dice, and the
(PICTURE). Same tactics as above. undead two Enemy Dice.

Developments Rinelda Smitt (APPENDIX B) (PICTURE) travels with

If the adventurers defeat all three waves, the cathars 3 zombies (MM 316) that she uses as her personal
destroy the remaining undead and have enough time to bodyguards. If attacked, she’ll use her reaction to shove
seal up the breach with a makeshift barricade of wood and a zombie in front of the blow if possible. Rinelda prefers
stone debris. It’s not very strong, but it’s enough to deter to fight at range, casting hold person and sacred flames
the undead from entering through here. as appropriate while swinging with her spiritual weapon
If the adventurers retreat from the battle instead, then spell.
the position is quickly overrun by undead. While many The necromancer has a terrible temper and delusions
more zombies enter through the breach, all is not lost, of immortality, considering how well she’s survived all her
since the horde as a whole isn’t organized enough to take life so far. She can be coaxed into fighting recklessly, and if
full advantage of this entrance and send more numbers pressed into melee, she casts inflict wounds.
through. Any surviving cathars retreat back to the gate to
inform Captain Levi of the situation, which he responds Developments
to by leading a group of his best soldiers to launch a Rinelda Smitt is insane The teen lost her parents at a very
counterattack and reclaim the area. young age and has survived in the wilderness purely off
her talents in necromancy. She is devoid of empathy for
Results her victims, seeing humans as useful only as resources
The location of the next encounter, “Necromancer to raid for food, clothing, shelter, and their corpses for
Confrontation,” depends on the adventurer’s previous undead. She offers no remorse because such a feeling is
actions: alien to her.
• If both the gate and the breach were successfully The only thing Rinelda understands and respects is
defended, a frustrated Rinelda scales the wall and power. If her life is on the line, she’ll explain her partnership
makes a last-ditch attempt to defeat the defenders with Siegfried, and how she’s culling the land to bring him

35
Chapter 3: Night of the Dead
 out, and make sure to call out a couple of key actions of
bravery or even luck that each character displayed during
the battle. Without the party’s help, hundreds of people
would now be dead and Shadowgrange would have been
lost.
At the end of the speech, Flora motions to bring forth a
large chest filled with coins to be given to the adventurers
as thanks. Assuming the characters succeeded on each
objective, the chest contains 2,100 cp, 1,050 sp, and 260
gp. Reduce the amount of coins depending on how many
Art by Karl Kopinski objectives were failed, as the town will need more money
to repair damages incurred in the battle.
After the chest is presented and the crowd finishes
cheering for the adventurers, Eckhardt approaches
corpses for his experiments (see “The Horde’s Purpose”).
them and asks for a word in private. When they move
Rinelda respects Siegfried’s talents and hopes to learn
somewhere more quiet, the innkeeper solemnly gifts the
everything she can as his apprentice before inevitably
party two of the best items from the cathars’ armory. If
murdering him and taking over his residence.
Captain Levi fell in battle, these are his personal items,
Rinelda carries basic necessities (clothing, food) along
and Eckhardt explains that the deceased cathar would
with a ghoulcaller’s bell (APPENDIX A) (PICTURE), and a
be honored if his arms continued to slay the wicked. The
large pouch containing 5 ep and 92 gp. On her person is
gifts are a +1 weapon and +1 armor/shield. Customize
a note written by Siegfried, reminding the teen to collect
the weapon and armor to your party: for example, if a
everything she can find in his shop’s basement, from
Dexterity-focused rogue still needs a weapon and prefers
papers to alchemical supplies.
using a rapier, perhaps the weapon is a +1 rapier called
Kindness; its handguard decorated in silver filigree in the
Victory! shape of a thousand feathers; it glows pale blue in the
With Rinelda defeated, the undead briefly falter, looking presence of fiends.
dazed. A loud cheer erupts from nearby defenders as they
see the adventurer’s victory. The people fight fiercer with
renewed resolve, pushing back the horde and eventually
Defeat!
If the characters failed to defeat Rinelda but succeeded
vanquishing them. It takes another two hours to clean up
in either holding the gate or the wall breach, then the
any undead roaming within the town’s walls.
necromancer forces the defenders to retreat to the chapel
How well the defenders fared depends on the
while the horde overruns the rest of Shadowgrange. Here
adventurer’s accomplishments. If both the gate and wall
the adventurers have enough time for a short rest before
breach held, then casualties and property damage are
Rinelda gathers her forces for a final assault. This is the
shockingly few. The more failed objectives, the worse the
final chance to stop the undead and save the town.
death toll and damage to Shadowgrange.
If the adventurers fail to stop Rinelda at the chapel, then
The townsfolk spend the next day carrying out post-
the defenders are broken. Priestess Flora and the rest of
battle activities: clergy members tend to the wounded,
the surviving council members rallies what’s left of the
cathars dismantle barricades, tradesfolk begin repairing
townsfolk for one desperate push, fighting their way out
damages, and other people help with gathering the dead
of Shadowgrange. They take heavy losses doing so, but
to be buried later.
eventually the survivors make it out alive. The undead
A group of cathars rides out to cleanse the surrounding
horde is too disorganized to give chase.
valley of any pockets of undead still roaming the land. The
Priestess Flora contacts the characters and thanks
few scattered zombies are easily disposed of. When the
them for their aid, but she is unable to hide the bitterness
cathars return, they bring news that some of the zombies
and despair in her voice. There is no ceremony, and this
were guarding large wooden wagons, some empty and
meeting is rushed. Shadowgrange is lost, and its people
others holding corpses.
flee south to neighboring communities as refugees.
Once all the immediate concerns are taken care of,
Word of the horde’s rampage travels to Silbern (see
Priestess Flora invites the characters to a great victory
“Evacuation”) and perhaps the cathars there mobilize
celebration. The celebration begins with a rousing speech
enough troops to stop the horde. Or maybe the vampire
by Flora in front of the chapel, where she publicly thanks the
families step in, destroying the undead to protect their
characters eachby name. Take the time to play this scene

36
Chapter 3: Night of the Dead
human livestock.

Developments
After the adventurers have a bit of time to recover from the
battle, Priestess Flora contacts them. She explains that her
people have never encountered an undead horde like the
one they faced. Flora knows that the stitched horrors, the
skaabs, are the foul work of necro-alchemists. If the army
was built by such people, it may be that the horde they
encountered is but a precursor to more attacks to come.
For the sake of all Stensia, Flora begs the adventurers to
find the source of these undead and stop it once and for
all. The refugees from Mordov said that the horde came
from the north, and the most notable location north of
there is Mauer Estate, a long-abandoned mansion that
has housed many residents over the centuries, from
ancient royalty to mad wizards.
If the adventurers mention Siegfried, either their
findings in his alchemy shop or the note on Rinelda Smitt,
then Priestess Flora agrees that he could be the source.
Siegfried was last seen heading in the direction of Mauer
Estate, and if they have evidence that he turned to necro-
alchemy, then it seems like he would be the first one the
adventurers should confront.

Awarding Experience Points

Divide 2,000 XP equally among the characters if the party
helps save the townsfolk from the undead horde.
If the undead horde is defeated, award another 4,800 XP
equally among the characters.

Conclusion of Part 3
Part 3 begins once the adventurers decide to head north
to Mauer Estate, where Siegfried works tirelessly to create
even more fearsome threats.

Milestone: Level 4!
If you are using Milestone Experience, then the characters
attain 4th level after the horde has been dealt with.

37
Chapter 3: Night of the Dead
 Art by James Paick

Part 4: Into the Farbog Farbog Superstitions

If the characters agree to Priestess Flora’s request to check
In this part of the adventure, the characters travel to out Mauer Estate, she thanks them for their courage and
Mauer Estate, located at the northern edge of Stensia’s commitment to righteousness. Flora warns them to be
outer valley. To do so, they will need to journey through a careful while traversing the farbog (Innistrad’s fancy term
large bog that divides the southern part of the valley from for bog/swamp) that the adventurers must pass through
its northern tip. to reach the estate. In particular, she warns them about
Depending on which NPCs the characters met and hellhounds: “I know you’re strong and capable adventurers,
which quests or clues they picked up, some or all the but trust me, if you come across a hellhound… run.” This
following information might be known to them: warning is particularly important to give the characters, as
• Priestess Flora wants the characters to travel to Mauer it sets up the “Hounds of Baskerville” encounter.
Estate and uncover the source of the undead. Once the characters accept Flora’s mission, word
• Rinelda Smit can confirm that Siegfried is the creator spreads around town of the character’s impending
of the undead armies and is working at Mauer Estate. journey through the farbog (Flora tells her clergymen,
• Silvia Wintsch wants the characters to bring her any they tell friends and relatives, and it spreads). Helpful,
sanguine lotus they find in the bog. but superstitious townsfolk approach the party members
• Siegfried holds the missing piece of the Strionic and offer advice on how to stay safe. The suggestions
Resonator, which some of the characters may have range from reasonably insightful to ignorance. Some
been tasked to retrieve for the Church of Avacyn. suggestions include:
• Never stare into a hellhound’s eyes or it will devour
your soul.
• Eat wormwood and other bitter herbs; it will make

38
Chapter 4: Into the Farbog
 you less palatable to things that roam the night (the
townsfolk that suggests it offers the character some of The Farbog
the aforementioned herb). Once the adventurers enter the farbog, read or paraphrase:
• Travel by day and rest at roadside shrines by night. The grassy plains of the valley dampens into inky black
• If you hear howling at midnight, someone close to you muck as you enter the farbog. Barren pine trees sink into
will die. the mud at odd angles, creating a tangle of dead trunks. A
• Be quiet while traversing the ancient grafs (Innistrad’s dreary grey mist envelopes the area.
fancy term for “crypt”) inside the farbog, lest you wake
the dead. The farbog is muddy, damp, and stinks of rotting
• Pale ghosts are the friendly kind, except when they’re vegetation. A mist surrounds the area; it doesn’t impede
not. nearby vision, but anything beyond 300 feet disappears
• Travel by night and rest at roadside shrines by day. behind the grey curtain.
• If a black cat crosses the road in front of you, it’s a The ground is a mix of muddy earth and shallow bog.
sign of bad luck. Traveling through here is considered difficult terrain (see
the rulebook for more information). The zombie horde
If the characters ask about the farbog itself, they can find mostly stuck to the main road that passes through the
out from various townsfolk that it’s a treacherous swamp swamp; adventurers following the main road or zombie
that people avoid if possible. One prominent rumor is horde can easily track hundreds of shambling footprints
that the farbog used to be a beautiful forest with one of and heavy wagon wheels dragged through the muck.
the most influential settlements in all of Innistrad, but an Following the main road, which runs north to south, is
evil tainted the forest, turning it into the farbog it is now. the easiest way to journey through the swamp towards
The bog has a well-known reputation for being the Mauer Estate.
residence of hellhounds, though it’s also said that few
folk are lucky enough to see one and live to tell the tale.
Others mention that ancient grafs dissolve into the muck, Swamp Encounters
causing the restless dead to stir as geists (spirits) and Traveling through the swamp takes one day. Along the
ghouls. journey through the farbog, the characters will partake in
three of the following events below (though feel free to
run as many events as you wish!).
Traveling to the Swamp Choose three of the events, marking when they occur
(day/night). Alternatively, roll a D6 and consult the Swamp
It takes one day of traveling north through the outer valley
to reach the farbog. A few abandoned communities can Encounters table to determine what the party meets,
be found in between Shadowgrange and the bog; the rerolling any 6 or duplicate results.
undead horde passed through these settlements on their The difficulty of combat encounters and their subsequent
way to Shadowgrange, killing most of the inhabitants XP awards assume a party of four level 4’s. If this is not
and sending their corpses back to Mauer Estate. None the case in your game, or if you wish to make the combat
of these communities are remarkable: each is comprised easier or harder, you may tweak the combat encounters to
of outlying farms and cabins huddled together, with a your desired difficulty with Kobold Fight Club or similar
modest chapel for prayer. If you wish, you can place one builders.
of these villages in the path of the characters, offering
the opportunity to explore the wreckage. Perhaps a few d8 Event
people managed to survive the undead’s rampage and 1 The Hounds of
still live here. Or maybe some undead still linger in the Baskerville
area, hungering for the living.
2 Whispers of Hope
The zombie horde left Mauer Estate and trekked south,
and Doom
through the farbog, through the small villages, all the
way to Shadowgrange. Their footprints are easy to spot 3 Deadly Lotus
and follow back to the estate. In addition to footprints, 4 Little Girl’s Plea
heavy wagon wheels can be followed. These wagons were 5 Corpse Wagons
carried by the horde and filled with corpses. Once filled,
the wagon would be hauled back to Mauer Estate, where
Siegfried would use them in his experiements. The Hounds of Baskerville
This encounter works best if the characters have been

39
Chapter 4: Into the Farbog
previously warned about hellhounds in the swamp (See that echoes throughout the area and is almost impossible
“Farbog Superstitions”). to pinpoint its origins. Characters can spot one of these
As the characters journey through the swamp, they mushrooms with a DC 25 Perception check. A Nature DC
pass by the sunken remains of a long-forgotten village 20 can identify a spotted gloomgas mushroom.
called Baskerville. What little remains of the crumbling Every round that a character is exposed to the spores,
and sunken village structures is barely recognizable in they must make a DC 15 Constitution check or be poisoned
the overgrowth and muck. The skeletal remains of many by the spore’s hallucinogenic properties. Characters that
of the villagers can be found littered around the area. A don’t breathe or are immune to poison are unaffected.
Wisdom (Medicine) DC 12 reveals none of them died Since the characters traveling through this part of the
from physical violence. A Wisdom (Insight) DC 15 check swamp are likely exposed to the spores for minutes or
indicates that the people appear to have all died in a state longer, it can be assumed that anyone not immune is
of absolute terror. eventually poisoned.
The area filled with gloomgas mushrooms. These A poisoned character gradually begins to hallucinate.
mushrooms release spores with hallucinogenic properties Read or paraphrase for them:
as the characters pass through. The spores fill the air and
mixes invisibily with the surrounding fog. The fog grows cloyingly thick and surrounds you utterly.
The gloomgas mushrooms grow at the base of the The pine trees seem taller here, leaning over you as if to
surrounding pine trees, blending perfectly with the bark. snatch you with gnarled, claw-like branches. The muck
The spore clouds are released with a low rumbling sound you trek through sucks down your foot more with each

40
Art by Kajito
step you take, making it harder to move. The world is with. Doing so takes an action. When this is done, the ally
closing in on you. can immediately make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw.
Then you hear it: a low rumbling growl that emanates all
around you. The growling gets louder; its tone is of sheer Awarding Experience Points
malice. Divide 1,400 XP equally among the characters if the
party defeats the hell hounds and/or shake off the
The growling sound is a perversion caused by the hallucination.
hallucination: it is actually the rumbling sound of the
gloomgas mushrooms, but when heard by someone
hallucinating from the spores, it sounds like a monstrous Whispers of Hope and Doom
hound growling. This is the origin of the hellhound rumor. As you journey through the bog, you hear a shrill scream
Give the poisoned characters a moment to react to the emanating from all around you. A dark red mist emerges
sound. Afterwards, read or paraphrase for them: from the ground all around you, mixing with the pervasive
fog, thickening like a blood clot. The red mist envelopes
You spot them out of the corner of your vision: twin fiery the area, so thick that you can barely see your hand in
red orbs burning through the cloak of fog. They move front of you. Your entire body is quickly covered by a thin
closer, and you see the rest of the figure emerge – a layer of this bloody substance, and the air smells of fire
monstrous hound, as tall as a human, stepping forward and brimstone.
on thick, muscular legs. As it growls, the beast exhales
embers from its open maw filled with razor-sharp teeth The adventurers walk through a part of the farbog that is
and revealing a hot glow emanating from its throat. home to a colony of hellscream fungi that thrive on the
You hear more growling from behind. Turning around, rotting vegetation languishing in the muck. The fungi
you see a second fiendish hound approaching from the release a cloud of spores as the adventurers pass by,
opposite direction. Suddenly, the two beasts rush toward enveloping the surrounding area in a thick bloody red 200
you in a full sprint, their eyes blazing with unbridled ft. radius “fog” that smells similar to fire and brimstone.
hatred. The opaque fog heavily obscures vision (see “Vision and
Light” in the Player’s Handbook p183). The spores coat
These 2 hellhounds (MM 182) are actually hallucinations exposed surfaces -- including the adventurers -- but are
caused by the gloomgas mushroom’s spores. Only otherwise harmless. The fungi can be identified with a
characters hallucinating from the spores can see, hear, successful DC 20 Intelligence (Nature) check. The spore
or be affected by them. The hounds circle around and cloud disperses after an hour.
strike at the weakest looking character, using their pack Unfortunately for the adventurers, the spore cloud is
tactics to eliminate the target quickly before moving to the least of this area’s hazards. As they wander through
the next. They use their Fire Breath if they can hit two or the spore cloud, a will-o’-wisp (p301) approaches them.
more characters with it. All damage dealt by the hounds
to hallucinating characters looks like physical wounds, You see an orb of warm light pierce through the red fog.
but in fact the characters are unknowingly taking psychic As it bobs up and down excitedly, you hear a faint whisper
damage instead. that says, “Follow me, travelers. You are grave danger
There are a few ways for a poisoned character to recognize here. Hurry!”
the illusion. When a character is damaged for the first time
by a hellhound, they must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving Technically, the wisp does not lie: the adventurers are in
throw. On a success, they notice something “off” about grave danger. But the wisp is the danger. An adventurer
the hellhound – its features are hazy and blurred, it leaves that does not trust the wisp can roll a Wisdom (Insight)
no footprints, there’s no weight to its attacks, etc. After check against the wisp’s Charisma (Deception) check
this success, they can spend an action to concentrate on (+0) to gauge its intent.
the hound, making a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw. On this In truth, the wisp aims only to distract the adventurers
success, the character shakes off the hallucination and the and lead them in circles inside the spore cloud, because
hellhounds disappear for them. this is the hunting ground of its master, a grell (MM
Alternatively, a character not hallucinating can help a p172). If attacked, the wisp goes invisible and backs away,
poisoned ally shake off its effects by convincing the person content to watch its master feed while it hisses taunts
that no hell hounds exist. They can stand in the same spot at the adventurers. If the grell is killed however, the wisp
as where the “hellhound” stands, or try to explain that lashes out in a rage, spitting curses and vile phrases as it
they are hallucinating, or anything else they can come up fights to the death. (Note that the wisp’s vision is heavily

41
Chapter 4: Into the Farbog
Art by Jason Engle

obscured by the spore cloud.) can climb up to it with a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check.
Meanwhile, the grell tries to sneak up behind the group. If the grell manages to sneak off with a paralyzed
With its blindsight, the aberration isn’t affected by the adventurer, it brings them here before knocking them
spore cloud at all. If all the adventurers are effectively blind unconscious to be a meal for later.
then the grell automatically succeeds in sneaking up, as it
makes no sound while flying and the adventurers can’t see Treasure
it. Otherwise, roll a Stealth check (+6) against the Passive Scattered inside the treehouse is a small collection of
Perception of adventurers that can see through the spore items the grell kept from its previous victims. Rummaging
cloud. The aberration attacks anyone that gets separated through the nest will uncover 30 cp, 15 sp, 5 gp, a bag
from the group. If no opportunity arises, it attacks an of holding (DMG p153), and a wizard’s spellbook with
adventurer that stands at the back of the group. The grell the following spells written inside: alarm, color spray,
tries to grapple and paralyze its prey and then float away thunderwave, unseen servant, arcane lock, rope trick.
back to its lair with the character paralyzed character in its In addition, there is a small ribbed glass bottle with a
clutches. sparkling silvery gas floating inside. This is a message
bottle (see APPENDIX A). Uncorking the bottle releases
Developments the gas, and all in the immediate area hear the voice of
The grell lairs in a makeshift treehouse made of petrified the will-o’-wisp begin to speak, “it killed me... I watched
wood up in the strong, sprawling branches of a nearby oak it devour my body while I could do nothing... NOTHING!
tree. The treehouse is a single room that houses the grell’s This damned beast! I hate it! It is invulnerable, cannot be
nest made up of twigs and small branches. There are no killed, my master...” With that, the silvery gas dissipates.
ropes or ladders to reach the house, but an adventurer The will-o’-wisp was once a traveler that was killed

42
Chapter 4: Into the Farbog
by the grell. With an all-consuming need for revenge, it Once a creature has set foot in quicksand, its natural
assaulted the grell, only to find out that the aberration was tendency is to struggle to free itself. Any type of struggle
completely immune to its electricity attack. The wisp was will actually have the opposite effect. Moving any portion
slowly driven insane by this revelation, and in a cruel irony, of the body that has been submerged causes the sand to
its shattered psyche came to love the grell that murdered shift from underneath the moved body part, thus sucking it
it, helping the creature feed on passing travelers. deeper into the morass. The best way to escape quicksand
is to simply lie still. Once a creature stops struggling, it
Awarding Experience Points will naturally float just as it would if it were in a pool of
Divide 1,250 XP equally among the characters if the party still water, albeit rising more slowly due to the weight of
defeats the grell and the will-o’-wisp. the sand.
Effects of Quicksand: Characters in quicksand must
make a DC 10 Swim check every round to simply tread
Deadly Lotus water in place, or a DC 15 Swim check to move 5 feet.
Before running this event, it’s important that you as the Failing these checks by 5 or more results in sinking and
DM know what the party’s marching order is. Specifically, the very real possibility of drowning.
you need to know who is marching in front and how close Rescue: Pulling out a character trapped in quicksand
people are following behind. This is a good habit to know can be difficult. The rescuer needs a branch, spear haft,
in general, but this particular event requires it. rope, or similar tool that enables him to reach the victim
with one end of it. Then he must make a DC 15 Strength
Your dulled senses trekking through the dreary swamp check to successfully pull the victim, and the victim must
suddenly perk up as you notice sharp, vibrant patches make a DC 10 Strength check to hold onto the branch,
of red that practically glow in the muck ahead of you: pole, or rope. If both checks succeed, the victim is pulled
beautiful red lotus flowers floating in the shallow water. 5 feet closer to safety. If the victim fails to hold on, he must
make a DC 15 Swim check immediately to stay above the
A DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check spots the remnants surface.
of lotus flowers around the area, but they have been
trampled and destroyed by the zombie horde. A dozen of The quicksand isn’t the only danger here, however. A
the flowers up ahead are untouched, however, as there are lumberknot (statted as a shambling mound; MM p270)
no footprints around them. (PICTURE) lies dormant nearby, perfectly blended into the
A DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check correctly identifies undergrowth. When an adventurer falls into the quicksand,
these as the rare sanguine lotus, whose petals are used to the lumberknot comes to life and lurches towards the
create powerful healing potions. If the adventurer has the party to consume them.
quest “Find the Lotus” from Silvia, then they automatically
identify the plant. The sanguine lotus are harmless and Suddenly the undergrowth near the quicksand rises from
pose no threat to the characters. the ground. A rotting heap of oak looms up half again as
The quicksand that the lotus petals float in, however, tall as a human, its midsection bursting open to reveal
is definitely a threat. The patch of quicksand is 20 feet a cruel gaping “maw” crowned by rows of savage, stake-
in diameter. A DC 15 Survival check tells a character in like “teeth.” It shambles towards you, the roots and vines
advance that something is not right with the patch of wrapped around its figure animating and stretching out in
ground containing the quicksand, but the character your direction.
must actively be searching for such dangerous ground.
Running or charging characters have no chance to detect The lumberknot moves at a slow 20 feet, so adventurers
the quicksand before falling prey to it. not stuck in quicksand can potentially outrun it. If
Any character marching in front that isn’t aware of the brought below 30 hit points, the treefolk feigns death,
quicksand will step in it. If one or more adventurers fall collapsing into a rotting heap of inanimate vegetation.
into the quicksand, read: If not subsequently killed, the central root-stem, the
lumberknot’s “brain,” beds down in its remains to slowly
Your walk comes to an abrupt halt as you notice your feet regrow its full body.
have become stuck in a pool of silty water. Your feet don’t
budge, and a moment later you start to feel a crushing
weight on them as you slowly begin getting sucked down
Developments
The adventurers can collect up to a dozen sanguine lotus
into the muck.
if they can retrieve them from the quicksand. The lotus
petals last for a week before rotting. If they are returned

43
Chapter 4: Into the Farbog
alive to Silvia, she pays the adventurers 50 gp (-5gp for gold, silver, and a pearl left over. The shovels left here,
each missing lotus) and gives them three vials of life’s the hurriedly removed jewelery, and the running footprints
blood (see APPENDIX A). leaving the area point that the robbers were fleeing.
Adventurers can track the footprints or follow where
Awarding Experience Points Anna pointed (she cannot venture too far from her
Divide 1,800 XP equally among the characters if the party grave). Along the way, they come across a charred corpse
defeats the lumberknot. clutching a pearl necklace missing a bead. This was one of
the robbers, and it looks like he was burned alive.
The characters can continue following the track until
A Little Girl’s Plea they come across a roadside shrine where the second
As the adventurers travel through the farbog, or perhaps robber is staying.
while they stop to rest, they are approached by a geist
(spirit). Up ahead the muddy swamp floor abruptly gives away to
a circle dry earth. Sprouting in the midst of this circle is
A voice calls out to you: it sounds like a little girl, but the a wide pine tree stump. Carved from what used to be its
voice is strange, warped, like hearing the message through trunk and rising up from its stump is the symbol of the
the end of a long metal tube. “Please, misters. Please help Church: Avacyn’s Collar.
me! Mum and dad are hurting and left me. Will you bring Sitting beside the shrine is a human clothed in
them back to me?” Looking around, you notice a small mudcaked wools and leathers. He cautiously holds a light
humanoid figure, her features hidden under silken sheets. crossbow in his hands, his tired eyes constantly scanning
The spirit’s translucent body emits a soft pale glow. the swamps around him.

The ghost is of Anna Helmvin, a little girl that died here The second robber, Bran Halfhelm (a commoner; MM
long ago in a time when the barren swamp held a thriving 345), has stayed at this road shrine for two days now. He
community. She poses no threat to the characters, but is a refugee from Mordov (see “Refugees”). Him and his
follows them for a while, begging them to help her. If brother, Rickard, managed to escape the slaughter by
attacked, she turns invisible and runs away sobbing. running deep into the farbog. They hoped to cross the
Anna will freely answer any questions the adventurers swamp and seek shelter at one of the northern villages.
have, but her knowledge is restricted by when she was Fleeing with just the clothes on their backs, they happened
“awake” and is filtered through her child psyche. Here is a upon Anna’s grave site and decided to rob it for a chance
list of things she knows that the characters may ask about: to have enough money to pay for a hot meal and a place
• This place was once a village. People were happy. to stay once they reached a village.
• Anna and her parents died when their house burned Unfortunately for Bran and Rickard, their grave robbery
down. Anna died in her room, her parents died trying awoke the spirits, and two fiery geists (Anna’s parents)
to save her. chased them down. Rickard was caught and burned alive,
• Her parent’s spirits were really sad and angry for not but Bran managed to reach the safety of this roadside
saving Anna, but eventually all of them found peace shrine, where the angry spirits cannot reach him. He is
in the Blessed Sleep when the villagers buried them certain that the geists are waiting for him to leave the
• Anna doesn’t know what happened around here while circle to kill him.
she was sleeping. Bran begs the adventurers to protect him from the
• Anna and her parents woke up recently when “bad geists. At first, he does not mention that he robbed the
men” dug up their graves. graves, only that angry geists chased him here and killed
• Anna can lead characters to the graves, and point his brother. If the adventurers press him, Bran will reveal
them in the direction that the “bad men” fled to. the truth, but stress that he was desperate, having lost
everything to the zombie horde, and needs the money to
The grave site is located on a small hill not far from pay for basic needs if he ever gets out of the swamp (which
where the adventurers meet Anna. The three graves have is true). He argues that the dead don’t need jewelery.
been dug up and the shovels used for the digging have If the adventurers convince Bran to hand over his
been left on the ground beside them. The remains of Anna stolen jewlery, he gives them a gold ring with etchings of
and her parents are still in their graves, however a DC 15 soaring herons on its outside (worth 25gp), and a silver
Intelligence (Investigation) reveals to anyone searching bracelet with a sapphire stylishly embedded into its center
the bodies that jewelery -- rings, necklaces, braclets -- (worth 20gp). The gold ring is one of two wedding rings
have clearly been ripped off the skeletons, with bits of -- Bran withholds the second one, though an appropriate

44
Chapter 4: Into the Farbog
Intelligence check can figure out that there should be Divide an additional 1,000 XP equally among the
two wedding rings, or a Wisdom (Insight) check notices characters if the party puts the spirits to rest.
that Bran might be holding something back. Though he’s
desperate for some money, Bran values his life above all
else, so he’ll hand over the final item if pressured to.
Corpse Wagons
Run this encounter only if the adventurers have been
following the zombie horde’s tracks.
Developments While the horde’s tracks move south away from Mauer
The ghosts of Anna’s parents cannot enter the shrine’s Estate, some wagon tracks are spotted moving north,
circle, so they patiently wait. If Bran leaves 300 feet from back toward the estate. These are the wagons that were
the shrine’s circle, they materialize as two fire geists filled with corpses and sent back to Siegfried.
(APPENDIX B) and attack him relentlessly. If Bran dies, As the adventurers follow the tracks, they come across
they will then attack anyone else holding their wedding one of these wooden corpse wagons sitting in their path.
rings. The wagon is filled with corpses. The four zombies that
Defeating the geists does not satisfy Anna, who says were pulling the wagon are found on the ground just in
that her parents are still hurting, and they’ll just come front of it. They have been cut down neatly into a pile of
back later. She thinks that “putting their stuff back” will be body parts. A DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check
the only way her parents will go back to sleep. while observing the bodies notes that they were cut down
Returning the wedding rings back to the parent’s graves with clean, precise cuts from a sharp weapon, possibly
is the only way to return their spirits to the Blessed Sleep. a sword. Additionally, characters can spot new footprints
If this is done: near the zombies: human bootprints, two pairs. A DC
15 Intelligence (Investigation) check notes that these
You feel a soothing breeze pass by you. Anna appears boots are plate greaves, part of a set of plate armor. The
in front of you, no longer shrouded in silks but a happy, bootprints appeared a few paces from the zombies and
beaming girl in a dress. Standing right behind her parents, approached them; there’s signs of brief struggle, then the
smiling at nodding at you. “You gave me back my mommy bootprints walked a few paces and mysteriously vanish.
and daddy. Thank you!” The three spirits then fade away. In truth, this was the work of vampires. House Falkenrath
has become worried about Siegfried’s activities. When
Awarding Experience Points they found out that the necro-alchemist was collecting
Divide 1,400 XP equally among the characters if the party bodies, they sent some of their kin to intercept the corpse
defeats the two fire geists. wagons to deprive Siegfried of supplies. These two

45
Art by Jana Shirmer & Johannes Voss
vampires landed at the wagon, quickly dispatched of the is, because the vampires rely on healthy, thriving human
zombies pulling it, and then flew away. settlements as food.
If the adventurers continue following the zombie horde’s If asked to help defeat Siegfried, Hans explains that
tracks for another hour, they come to a second wagon just the alchemist is holed up in the Mauer Estate and that
as the zombies escorting it are being cut down. Hans the building has a protective holy ward that prevents the
and Franz, two vampire spawn warriors (APPENDIX B) vampires from attacking directly. He is willing to help the
(PICTURE), quickly dispatch the zombies with little effort. adventurers if they deal with Siegfried for the vampires;
for example, he’s willing to find out what happened to
As you continue walking, you spot the hazy form of a Katarina and relay that information to them, after the
wagon about three hundred feet away at the mist’s edge. It estate’s holy wards are taken down.
is slowly moving north, being pulled by three humanoids. The vampires defend themselves if attacked or provoked
Suddenly, two humanoids with large pale wings appear in enough, but they are under strict orders not to kill the
the sky above, plunging through the mist to the wagon. characters, a fact that Franz must remind Hans. The
There are brief sounds of a commotion; staggered groans, Falkenrath know of the adventurers’ quest and would like
then silence again. to see the party do the dirty work of disposing Siegfried for
them. If one vampire is killed, the other attempts to flee,
The vampires linger beside the wagon for a few minutes swearing revenge (maybe returning with other vampires
to chat. Hans complains about their assignment, saying to attack the party in a future adventure).
this is grunt work, that his new boots are caked in mud,
the bog reeks, and that there’s a small hamlet not far from Awarding Experience Points
here they can stop by to “get a bite to eat.” Franz scolds Divide 1,050 XP equally among the characters if the party
Hans, telling him to take the assignment seriously and speaks with the vampires. If they manage to defeat the
stop complaining, that he needs to exercise more and vampires, divide 3,600 XP instead.
isn’t “pumped up” enough.
If the adventurers do not approach or are not spotted,
the two vampires fly away after a few minutes.
If the vampires notice the adventurers and aren’t
Conclusion of Part 4
On the end of the second day of travel, the party reaches
immediately attacked, they try to strike up conversation: the end of the swamp.
The two figures turn to you. Both wear fine red silken You leave the black muck of the farbog behind and are
clothes under their armor; red enameled plate with gold greeted with a fresh breeze to the open valley ahead of
trim. Both have strange, wondrous eyes, golden irisis you. Soft rolling hills cascade ahead of you, flanked by the
swimming in pools of black sclera. Their pale faces wear jagged stone valley walls.
very different expressions: one man a cold grimace, the Up a few miles ahead is a grove of greenery rising up
other man a haughty smirk. from the short grass. Poking up from its center, high above
“It seems we have company, Franz,” the man says, “a the forest ceiling, is a twisting stone tower adorned by
band of seasoned looking fellows, heading north... oh! You glistening metal contraptions. The tower shimmers with
must be the ‘Heroes of Shadowgrange!’ Such an honor!” wisps of pale lights, like ribbons dancing in the breeze.
he says, performing a mock bow. Angry dark clouds gather over the valley. They seem
to concentrate over the grove, as if nature’s wrath was
Hans wants to banter with the adventurers, as he’s bored winding up to smite the tower. Quick flashes of lightning
and looking for entertainment. Franz, however, is a no- pop from inside the restless clouds. A storm is coming...
nonsense kind of vampire and wants to finish taking out
the corpse wagons so that they can head home. The adventurers have nearly reached the end of their
Franz is tight-lipped when dealing with the adventurers, journey: Mauer Estate stands defiantly in front of them.
while Hans does entertain questions, albeit with mocking They need only cross the valley, descend into the thicket’s
sarcasm. For example, if asked what the vampires are center, and enter.
doing here, he replies, “taking a stroll, of course. The
farbog is lovely this time of year.” He does congratulate
the adventurers, however, saying that the Falkenraths Awarding Experience Points
are happy they aided Shadowgrange and “protected the Crossing the farbog completes a story milestone. Divide
cattle.” The vampires are just as opposed to the zombie 1,200 XP equally among the characters.
horde -- and Siegfried’s other machinations -- as everyone There is no milestone level up for this Chapter.

46
Chapter 4: Into the Farbog
 Art by John Stanko

Chapter 5: The Perfect Storm

Sixty miles north of Shadowgrange, nestled in a clearing at The adventurers have a chance to confront Siegfried and
the center of a grove of live oak trees deep within northern put a stop to his nefarious schemes. And of course, untold
Stensia, stands Mauer Estate. The mansion is one of the riches await those brave enough to explore the ancient
oldest buildings in the region, its foundation dating back areas hidden deep inside the estate.
thousands of years to a holy sect of paladins that brought
the Light to Innistrad long before even Avacyn. Since then,
countless occupants have claimed Mauer Estate as their The Grove
home, modifying the grounds to suit their needs. Mauer Estate’s grove is nestled deep within the farbog.
Siegfried is the estate’s current owner and uses it as The small forest is comprised of a half mile radius of oak
his base of operations. Ever since he fled Shadowgrange trees (PICTURE). The trees’ thick sprawling branches
in the wake of his beloved Katarina’s kidnapping (see intertwine with their neighbors, obscuring vision and
“Background” in Introduction), the alchemist spends his making it difficult to navigate through the area.
days here working tirelessly to carry out his goal of revenge. The oak trees are littered with what look like normal
Siegfried descent into madness has attracted demons to wood knots at a distance, but closer inspection shows
his cause. The fiends aid in his work and whisper dark these lumps are all have human shapes -- agonized faces,
secrets that further taint his warped psyche. outstretched hands -- as if people were trapped inside
A great storm brews overhead: part of Siegfried’s the bark. Destroying the lumps only finds ordinary wood,
machinations, in fact. The mad alchemist seeks to harness however.
the storm’s power to bring his ultimate creation to life. The telltale signs of the zombie horde’s trek -- hundreds

47
Chapter 5: The Perfect Storm
of footprints and wagon wheels -- lead from the grove taking the role of a therapist and mediator.
south to the swamp. Adventurers can easily track them
north to the grove’s main entrance, a path carved through What the Dryad Knows
the trees specifically to allow the horde to pass through. Eudora has never left the grove and knows little of the
The branches and trees that were in the path’s way were outside world. She doesn’t know anything about current
smashed and splintered by skaab abominations and the events, though she is not a fan of Avacyn due to the
debris tossed to the side. archangel’s persecution of druidism and “the old ways”
The adventurers don’t need to follow the main path connected to the forest.
into the grove; they are free to enter the grove from any If asked about Siegfried, Eudora tells them that she
direction. However, the main path is the only method of helped a grief-stricken man make it to Mauer Estate (fed
traveling unimpeded through the grove: walking through him goodberries and let him rest), that he would’ve been
from anywhere else requires navigating up and around beautiful if his soul wasn’t wracked with anger and sadness.
the twisting jungle of low-hanging live oak branches. The dryad regrets helping him, as the alchemist has been
working day and night producing undead monstrosities,
Lady of the Woods abominations and mockeries of nature. His foul work only
The adventurers attract the curiosity of Eudora, a dryad causes ruin and misery.
(MM p121) (PICTURE) living in the grove. Eudora casts If asked about the human-like lumps in the oak trees,
pass without trace before following the party sneakily. Eudora explains that long ago, when Avacyn arrived, the
“people of the forest” rejected her and her new religion,
As you make your way through the grove, you hear youthful preferring to stick to the old ways. Avacyn punished them
feminine voice whisper in your ear, “My my, what do we for this.
have here? I rarely have living visitors in my woods. Who
are you, and why have you come?” Out of the corner of Eudora’s Offer
your eyes you catch a glimpse of a feminine form flitting The dryad explains that she is lonely. Long ago, when the
through the trees before its gone again with only warm grove stretched all the way to the swamp, humans used
laughter hanging in the air. to live in harmony with nature. In those times she had
many visitors, many intimate friends. But slowly the forest
While Eudora probes the characters for information, the receded and the world filled with darkness, and she was
dryad uses her tree stride to keep a distance from the left here alone. What the dryad wants the most is a taste
adventurers and ducks into hiding when she’s out of of that intimacy she enjoyed so long ago.
sight, using her +15 Dexterity (Stealth). Having no love for the alchemist in Mauer Estate and
If the adventurers explain why they are here and she is his foul projects, Euroda offers to help the adventurers.
convinced that they mean her no harm, she reveals herself She knows of a secret path that leads inside the mansion.
to them. Eudora appears as a statuesque beauty, youthful But she wants something in return: each adventurer must
and alluring. Her hair and tight-fitting dress are made of stand up in front of the group and reveal an intimate
autumn leaves: vibrant fiery hues of yellow, orange, and secret about themselves that no one else in the group
red. The dryad radiates vigor and primal magic. knows. Eudora explains that her most cherished moments
with her intimate friends was when they left themselves
Hippie Personality emotionally open and vulnerable to others as an ultimate
Eudora is a social creature that has been deprived of act of trust, and she wants to taste that experience one
humanoid companions for a long time. Because of this, more time. The dryad warns that if any of them refuse her
she is utterly delighted to have an opportunity to speak offer or lie, she will not show them the hidden passage.
with friendly adventurers. This is a fun opportunity for roleplaying. It gives each
The dryad places a great deal of importance on good character a spotlight to flesh out their characters and
emotions. She wants to make sure everyone is feeling give the group a mutual understanding of one another.
“good vibes,” and advocates decision making to “follow The intimate secret can be something silly, like a fear
your heart” instead of cold, rational logic. of butterflies, or more serious, like the characters’
If any character is visibly upset, or if there is any fighting motivations for adventuring.
amongst the group, Eudora tries to intervene in mediate, Eudora conducts the event like a group therapy meeting:
asking what is wrong, and what are the deeper issues at she leads the group, asking each character in turn to share
play. Was the character abused as a child? Did they have their story. She is polite and strives to keep the group a
a good relationship with their parents? The dryad loves safe and calm environment, thanking each one for sharing

48
Chapter 5: The Perfect Storm
and taking her time to relish the experience. For example,
if she particularly enjoys a story, she may close her eyes, Looking around the Estate, the players hear/see:
take a deep breath, and smile as she exhales. “That felt
true. I felt it, right here,” pointing to where a human’s You hear the sounds of shoveling up ahead. Circling the
heart would be. estate’s perimeter are humanoids shoveling the muddy
Developments earth in awkward jerky movement, sending mud flying to
If each character reveals an intimate secret to the dryad’s the side. Torn bits of muddy rags cling to their wet rotting
satisfaction, or if they manage to convincingly pass off a bodies.
fake tale as true, then Eudora leads them to a large live
oak tree. The dryad utters a simple spell and the tree 20 zombies (MM p316) surround the mansion, using
partially uproots itself, revealing a tunnel underneath: this shovels to dig a shallow trench that circles the entire
tunnel leads to the kitchen (area A6) in Mauer Estate. The building. Siegfried commanded the trench be dug for a
earthen tunnel is roughly dug but stable; there is no light, future project to fortify his base of operations. The zombies
and the roots of the trees above dangle from its ceiling. are focused on their task, so much that adventurers could
Eudora cannot accompany the adventurers into Mauer walk past them without any reaction from the undead.
Estate. The dryad explains that she is magically bound Attacking a zombie draws their attention, however,
to the grove and cannot leave its boundaries. The forest and 1d6+3 nearby zombies shamble over to attack the
clearing which the estate resides is so filled with twisted adventurers. If they lose sight of the adventurers, for
magic that it’s severed from nature, making her unable example of the characters flee into the woods, then the
to enter it. If the adventurers make a good impression on zombies return to their work.
her, however, she casts goodberry three times and gives
them the berries for their journey, wishing them good luck. The main features of Mauer Estate that adventurers can
If attacked, Eudora flees, using tree stride to help her reasonably spot in the heavy rain are:
escape. She would much rather flee than fight.
• A pair of towering silvery doors on the southern side
of the mansion: the main entrance (A1)
Awarding Experience Points • The stables, a smaller, open building attached to the
Divide 1,500 XP equally among the characters if the party
eastern wall of the estate estate (A7)
reveals their intimate secrets.
• Wooden double doors on the north side of the estate
leading down into the cellar (A8)
Mauer Estate • A DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check notes two
marble statues standing in alcoves flanking the main
If the adventurers trek to the center of the grove they
entrance. The statues are female angels in silken
eventually reach a clearing where Mauer Estate resides.
gowns covering their faces with their hands as they
The storm above them begins in earnest, pouring down
weep, the rain washing down their faces like tears. A
heavy rain and periodically striking the rooftop with
DC 10 Intelligence (Religion) recognizes these statues
lightning. (PICTURE) (MAP)
as portraying angels of the flight alabaster, protectors
of humans both living and dead. (These are manor
A cold rain begins pouring down as you reach the forest
gargoyles; see “Climbing the Walls” below)
clearing. The heavy rainfall obscures your vision; angry gray
• A DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check spots a stained
storm clouds foaming overhead acts as a thick curtain,
glass window above the main entrance. It depicts an
blocking light and leaving the clearing in a grim shadow.
emblem with a pouncing lion. A DC 15 Intelligence
Leering down at you from the center of the clearing is the
(History) recognizes as the emblem of the House
manor-house: Mauer Estate. Twisting up from the center
Lowe, an ancient family of nobles that was wiped out
of the rooftop is a stone tower, its flat ceiling crowded with
long ago by the neighboring vampire families.
a messy array of metal instrument of various shapes and
sizes. Shimmering ribbons of soft pale light hang in the
air surrounding the tower. Entering the Estate
An explosive flash of lightning slams down upon a There are four main ways of entering the estate:
large metallic sphere atop the tower and is immediately • Go through the mansion’s front door (A1)
followed by the boom of thunder. Electricity dances upon • Entering through the door connected to the stables
the metal apparatus and skips down long tubes attached (A7)
to it that descends into the tower. • Adventurers entering the estate from Eudora’s secret
passage (see “Lady of the Woods”) find themselves in

49
Chapter 5: The Perfect Storm
 Map by Sean Ellison

the kitchen (A6). (move at half speed), and dropping them (free action).
• Climb up to the rooftop and enter the laboratory (A10) The gargoyles flee if taken below 20 hit points or if one of
through an open hatch (see “Climbing the Walls”). them is destroyed.
It’s nearly impossible to climb into the second floor
Of course, creative adventurers may find other methods windows; the windows are all blocked with stone and
of entrance; roll with their zany ideas when possible! plaster. In fact, most of the second floor has been filled
with earth and stone; Siegfried did away with unnecessary
Climbing the Walls space, denying extra methods for would-be intruders to
Unorthodox adventurers may attempt to scale the walls. access his lair.
Climbing the rain-slicked walls in the dark is difficult even There are, however, three available ways that climbing
for trained climbers, requiring a DC 20 Strength (Athletics) adventurers can enter the mansion. The first is by
check. smashing through the stained glass window into the main
Adventurers attempting to climb also attract the hall (A2). The second is going down the chimney leading
attention of the 2 manor gargoyles (MM p140) disguised to the dining hall’s fireplace (A5). The third is climbing to
as angelic statues. They wait until the last adventurers the peak of the estate, the top of the alchemy lab (A10),
begin their ascent before striking. where they can enter through an open ceiling hatch.
Lightning Strikes. Traversing the top of the tower is
A shriek pierces the hiss of the driving rain. Swooping highly dangerous: lightning frequently strikes the metal
down at you on outstretched wings are two angelic figures apparatuses. As an adventurer climbs over, roll 1d6; on
with marble-like surfaces. Their statuesque feminine a 6, lightning strikes the top of the tower. Adventurers
bodies are a stark contrast to their fiendish faces; small caught in the blast must make a DC 15 Dexterity save,
mischievous eyes stare at you behind a squished snout taking 8d6 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as
and rows of razor-sharp teeth. They make pig-like squeals much damage on a success.
and snorts as they cackle and close in on you.
Ward of Radiance
In addition to their claws and bite, the gargoyles may try Ribbons of pale light, like a miniature version of the
to drop climbers off the wall. They do so by grappling the Northern Lights, surround the tower as well. These lights
target (action), moving away from the wall with them are projections of pure radiant energy. Climbers in close

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Chapter 5: The Perfect Storm
proximity to these lights may feel an uncomfortable The ruinous remains of fine marble pillars line the hallway
warmth coming from inside of them or restless energy, here; some toppled over, others reaching up to the vaulted
but nothing debilitating. Fiends and undead, however, ceiling but coming short of the top. Hollow suits of armor
feel a searing pain when close to these lights, taking 1d6 are on display along the wall, standing vigil with their
radiant damage per turn and must make a DC 15 Wisdom hollow gauntlets wrapped around ceremonial blades.
save or be frightened for 1 minute. Bursting through the center of the hall is a cylindrical
stone tower. Only a portion of the tower is contained in
this hallway: its wall extends beyond the main hall, and it
Area A1 - The Great Doors ascends beyond the ceiling.
A pair of towering silvery doors act as the main entrance
High above, rain courses in dark rivulets down the
into the manse, leading to the main hall (area A2). Their
stained glass windows above the main doorway. In the
shining silvery surfaces act as two great mirrors that show
crash of lightning, the stained glass casts the chamber in
the reflection of anyone approaching.
flashes of red and violet.
As the adventurers approach the doors they hear a
Paired doors stand to your left and right. Across the
booming voice that asks them the following riddle:
hall, a shiny brass door offers a way inside the tower.
Always running
Never walking
The door to the left leads to the west parlor (A3), the door
Sometimes babbles
to the right leads to the dining hall (A5), and finally up
But never talking
ahead leads into the tower’s staircase (A9).
What am I?
Each step causes the old eroding wooden floor to creak
(The answer is a river.)
ominously. Six suits of armor on display have engravings
of moon motifs and of soaring herons. They are rusted and
Alternatively, replace this riddle with any other that you’d
are littered with dust and cobwebs. Three of the suits of
like, or a different puzzle entirely. Or, if you’re not fond of
armor on display are in fact haunted guardians: animated
riddles/puzzles at all, the doors can ask for a password, or
armors (MM p19) (PICTURE) holding flying swords
state of intent, before allowing entry.
(MM p20); they are indistinguishable from mundane
If the adventurers do not answer to the door’s
items unless a character can detect magic. Siegfried cast
satisfaction, they do not open. Any attempt to force
prestidigitation to make them look old and unused.
the doors open causes the doors -- which are actually 2
A character investigating the brass doorway into the
mimics (MM p220) -- to attack.
tower notices a small nearly invisible message on the
door. A DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check recognizes this
The two silvery doors suddenly fly out of the door frame
as a glyph of warding spell, but not what type. The font
towards you. Their flat surfaces quickly stretch and warp
is tiny and requires getting close to read it. The message
into giant gaping maws with long, powerful tongues
says, “read this out loud.”
curling back as if readying itself to swat at you.

In combat, the mimics attack with their pseudopod Shouldn’t Have Done That
“tongue.” Once the target is grappled, the mimic reels in If a character says the message out loud, it triggers the
the target for a vicious bite (attacks with advantage due explosive runes, releasing a 20-foot radius explosion of
to its Grappler trait). The mimics have been tasked with electricity from the glyph. Each creature caught in the
guarding the entrance and fight to the death, but do not explosion must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw,
chase fleeing adventurers outside of the grove clearing. taking 3d8 lightning damage on a failed saving throw or
half as much damage on a successful one.
If the explosive runes are triggered or dispelled, the 3
Awarding Experience Points
animated armors holding 3 flying swords immediately
Divide 900 XP equally among the characters if the party
come to life and attack the party, fighting until destroyed.
answers the riddle or defeats the mimics.

Developments
Area A2 - Main Hall Unless the party is deliberately being quiet, the vampire
The main hall can be accessed by passing through the Lambert hears them. He uses his scroll of disguise self
great doors (A1), the west parlor (A3), the dining hall to look like a human cathar and begins shouting for help
(A4), or smashing through the stained glass windows from inside the west parlor (A3).
(see “Climbing the Walls”).

51
Chapter 5: The Perfect Storm
Awarding Experience Points unbroken line of silver powder on the ground under the
Divide 800 XP equally among the characters if the party doorway. He hurries them in an anxious voice to wipe
defeats the animated armors and flying swords. away the line of powder so that he can escape.
The powdered silver radiates an aura of magic
(abjuration). Inquisitive characters can make a DC 15
Area A3 - West Parlor Intelligence (Arcana) or (Religion) check to recognize the
The west parlor is connected to the main hall (A2). line of powdered silver as a magic circle against evil. The
magic circle binds Lambert; he cannot cross the line’s
Decades of neglect has deteriorated what was once a boundary until the line is broken, nor can he disturb the
cheerful parlor. Baby-blue walls hold the slashed and torn line himself.
remnants of old family portraits. Anyone other than the vampire
Elegant chairs with poofy cushions can dispel the magic circle
surround a small wooden circular by simply breaking the line of
table, engravings of majestic powdered silver, for example
stags run laps along its edges. A sweeping it away with their foot.
bookcase cover the western wall.

Lambert Spinne, a vampire warrior

Lambert’s True Self
If they catch Lambert unaware,
(APPENDIX B), resides in this
see through his illusion, or the
small room.
vampire spawn drops his disguise
self spell, they instead see a
Illusions and Trickery gaunt, pale-skinned man in fine
If the PCs made a commotion aristocratic clothing that looks
either by fighting the mimics at the straight out of a Victorian nobel’s
entrance (A1) or make noise inside wardrobe: a vest of red and gold,
the main hall (A2), Lambert uses high black leather boots, a black
one of his scrolls of disguise self high-collared cape that is red on
to take the appearance of a human the inside. Lambert’s striking
cathar before calling out for help. If eyes; golden irises in a pool of
this happens and the adventurers black sclera, are a telltale sign
open the door, and if they have a of vampirism, glinting in the
light source, read or paraphrase: darkness like a cat’s. (PICTURE)
Like most vampires, Lambert
Standing inside the room is a man has a smug sense of superiority
that appears to be in his mid 30’s. Art byJames Ryman
over mortals, which he compares
He is decked head to toe in the studded leathers of a his own kind as “shepherds watching over our sheep.”
combat-ready cathar, a mix of white and brown, topped He acts with restraint towards the characters, which he
with a leather tri-corner hat. respects to some degree for making it this far. He watches
“Thank Avacyn, someone has come! Please, help! The them with curiosity and amusement.
madman owner of this house has kept me prisoner here,
says he plans to experiment on me. Please, before his foul
minions arrive!”
Interview With The Vampire
If the adventurers don’t fall for his ruse, Lambert changes
tactics. Instead of relying on the characters’ good will, he
Lambert speaks the truth: Siegfried is indeed keeping
entices them with money, power, and information. He
him prisoner for future experiments. He’s certainly
explains that he is from a very rich and influential family,
withholding information, however. If questioned, the
the Voldaren vampires. Lambert guarantees that the
vampire disguised as a cathar keeps repeating that he’ll
characters will be handsomely rewarded if they free him.
explain everything once he’s free, that they must hurry
If the characters are willing to negotiate his release for
before patrols come.
information, wealth, or power, Lambert has one request:
step into his parlor. A character (one or more) has to sit
Trapped down at the table with him during the talks as a sign of
The vampire explains what is keeping him here: it is not a good faith. He gives his word that he will not harm anyone
physical barrier, but a magical one. He points to a straight

52
Chapter 5: The Perfect Storm
that enters the room so long as they do not attack him. when he is freed he and his brethren will hunt the party
down and devour them for their insolence. He may show
What Lambert Knows up in the future with a few vampires to attack the party.
Lambert is willing to barter information for his release. He If pressed into combat, Lambert’s only hope is to fight
has only been a vampire for two years now and does not them inside his room, as the vampire has no ranged
know any secrets that would be left for Voldaren elders, capabilities. But he can get out of line of sight easily,
but he can readily answer any general questions about hiding in corners of the room so that anyone looking to
Stensia and Innistrad that an average citizen would know. attack him would have to enter to get a clear shot.
In addition, he has juicy bits of information that the
characters may be interested in: Secret Room
• He participated in Katarina’s abduction (see The bookcase is filled with books ranging from a variety
“Voldaren’s Lesson” in the Introduction) and her of topics, including history, biology, geography, etc. A
subsequent “crowning” as a mock “Queen of the DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) both reveals a sliding
Vampires,” but was not permitted to feast on her at mechanism around the bookcase and that one book,
the celebrations’ end, “unfortunately there’s only so “Camoflage and Its Practical Applications,” stands out
much blood to go around.” amongst the rest. Pulling on the book swings the bookcase
• The vampire families were disturbed when they found open, revealing a hidden room (A4).
out about the zombie horde laying waste to the
countryside. They followed the corpse wagons (and Awarding Experience Points
destroyed the zombies pulling them) back to Mauer Divide 1,800 XP equally among the characters if the speaks
Estate with and/or destroys Lambert.
• Lambert was sent to spy on Siegfried, but the Estate
is incredibly well protected against vampires: he
specifically mentions the strange aura of radiant Treasure
energy surrounding the tower which “seared my flesh The vampire was stripped of most notable possessions,
as I approached” but he managed to keep two scrolls of disguise self hidden
• The vampire was eventually caught by Siegfried and is inside his boots.
now kept here for future experiments Most of the dusty tomes on the bookcase are valuable
(10-30gp each), but two are particularly noteworthy:
The Sacred Waters of Sumnerryl, describes the location
Developments
of an ancient sinkhole hidden away in province Kessig
If Lambert tricks the adventurers into breaking the magic
whose waters are rumored to contain mystical powers. It
circle against evil with his disguise, keeps up his act long
would be worth 150gp to the druids of Kessig, plus could
enough for him to break from the party and escape. He
be a hook for a future adventure.
isn’t looking for a fight, instead hoping to return home as
Fall From Glory is actually a hollowed out book holding
quickly as possible.
a golden hourglass. The “sand” of the hourglass is
If the adventurers see through his ruse and agree to
powdered ruby. The hourglass is worth 400gp to the right
negotiate for his release by entering his room, Lambert
(extremely wealthy) buyer.
keeps his word of not harming them. He can promise
them riches for his release, within reason -- treat his
promised riches as a Treasure Horde CR 5 (DMG p137) to Area A4 - Hidden Room
see what he can and cannot give. If they agree on a price This room is accessed via a secret doorway in the parlor
and free the vampire, a week later a package arrives to the (A3). None of Mauer Estate’s current inhabitants know
characters with the promised items. about this room, making it the perfect spot for adventurers
Or he can promise a favor from his brethren: what that to rest. A lever on a wall inside the room opens and closes
favor ends up being is up to you. For example, he could the secret entrance.
put in a good word towards the vampire elders, should
any character wish to become “gifted” with vampirism. A font bubbles in the middle this small room, its silver
Other favors could be free passage alongside Voldaren’s liquid sparkling with fair dawn’s light. Encircling its broad
territories, or a promise not to feast on people living in a base is a mosaic depicting a silver heron and a dark
specific village for a full year. fiendish goat in eternal chase. An inscription is written on
If the characters refuse to release him, the vampire the font’s rim.
shouts insults at them as they leave, warning them that Font of Bennu

53
Chapter 5: The Perfect Storm
This blessed font is said to grant knowledge through visions drinking horns, and knives are strewn about the floor
to those who partake without avarice. The inscription mixed in with debris.
on the font’s rim reads in Celestial, “A blessing for the The stone tower at the center of the manse cuts a swath
righteous; a curse for avarice.” Anyone who drinks from into this hall, jutting out of a corner. A dumbwaiter has
the font experiences a vision of the past and potentially been built into the tower, its metal cart suspended by thick
the future. The imbiber gains a bit of magical potential, ropes.
whose benefit that character can activate at a time of their
choosing. Once activated, the benefit is expended. The dining hall can be accessed by the main hall (A2), the
A character who drinks from the fountain more than kitchen (A6), or through the fireplace (see “Climbing the
once is afflicted with the disfavor of Bennu. The character Walls”).
does not receive the font’s benefit, instead gaining a level The corpses littering the tables have been brought
of exhaustion. here from the corpse wagons sitting in the stables (A6).
When a character drinks from the font for the first Shilgengar, the demonlord of ashmouth (Appendix B) and
time, roll 1d4 and consult the following list. You can also his five crawling claw helpers (MM p44) work here day
improvise or create specific visions, perhaps revealing and night. They chop up the corpses into body parts and
additional story information that hints at future adventures sort them into piles (head, arms, legs, torso, hands, feet)
beyond this one. on the tables.
The shaft on the tower wall is a dumbwaiter: it leads
1. Vision of Sacrifice: The character witnesses a massive from the dining hall to the top of the tower (A10) where
black rupture in the sky, fiends and other horrors emerging Siegfried works. Periodically, a quasit from the top of the
from it. A glowing heron flies into the portal and erupts tower (A10) calls down the shaft of the dumbwaiter for a
into a mist of silver. There is a blinding flash of light which specific body part. Shilgengar and his helpers fill the cart
then dims to reveal the silver moon of Innistrad. with the body part, then the demon turns a crank that lifts
Benefit: As a reaction, the character can claim this the cart up to the tower with ropes on pulleys.
benefit when an ally they can see within 30 feet of them Shilgengar has been commanded by a powerful
takes damage, taking that damage instead and negating archdemon to aid Siegfried with his projects and push
half of it. him further towards utter madness. While the taskmaster
2. Vision of Past Valor: The characters witness a scene has been overseeing supplying Siegfried with body parts,
of Avacyn fighting with an equally powerful demon his accomplice, the quasit Qarr (A10), whispers fiendish
(Griselbrand), the Helvault standing in the background. suggestions in the stitcher’s ear.
Benefit: As a free action, the character can claim this Shilgengar relishes the chance to inflict pain on any
benefit to take an additional bonus action. invaders. If taken below 20 hit points, the demon tries
3. Vision of Inspiration: This vision shows the Church to retreat, ideally by flying up the dumbwaiter shaft and
of Avacyn at the height of its power, humans and angels warning Siegfried (A10). If killed, the demonlord’s essence
working together to drive the horrors away from their dissolves and reforms inside the pits of ashmouth
lands. months or years later, ready to enact his vengeance on the
Benefit: As a free action, the character can claim this adventurers.
benefit to gain an inspiration point.
4. Vision of Future Glory: This vision shows a huge silver Going Up The Dumbwaiter
mass (the Helvault) standing at the center of a garden. A crank operates the dumbwaiter, raising or lowering the
The object explodes with a flash of radiance and an army metal crate inside the shaft. Turning the crank requires a
of devils stream out. Strength check: the DC is 5 for an empty crate, up to 15
Benefit: As a free action, the character can claim this when it’s at maximum capacity. An adventurer can operate
benefit to gain an additional Dash action. the crank while the rest of the party is in the crate to send
them up the shaft.
Area A5 - Dining Hall Alternatively, adventurers can climb up the shaft.
A vaulted hall stretches before you, anchored by a great Climbing the thick ropes attached to the crate requires
stone fireplace on one end and a wall decked in old at DC 10 Strength check. They can also climb the walls,
ceremonial swords on the other. Between them are three but the smooth surface makes it difficult to find grips,
long tables capable of seating an entire company. Rotting requiring a DC 15 Strength check. Failure by 5 or more
body parts are heaped on the tables in great hideous piles: means the character loses grip and falls.
arms, legs, heads, and other parts. Old wooden bowls, The dumbwaiter goes up 50 feet to the top of the tower,
the alchemist’s lab (A10).

54
Chapter 5: The Perfect Storm
 Art by Dan Scott

Awarding Experience
Points
Divide 1,850 XP equally among the
characters if the party destroys the
barlgura and the five crawling claws.

Treasure
If defeated, adventurers can pick up
the butcher’s cleaver (APPENDIX A)
left on one of the tables.
The corpses thrown into this room
weren’t thoroughly searched. A
diligent investigation of the corpses
finds two platinum rings (75gp
each); a pouch containing 15 cp,
13 ep, and a potion of vitality; and a
disembodied hand clutching a wand
of magic missiles.
Their sinewy red bodies are armored by wicked chitinous
Area A6 - Kitchen spikes that adorn their body, from the back-swept horns
Adventurers can enter the kitchen either through the on their head to their long prehensile tails. They frantically
dining hall (A5) or through Eudora’s secret tunnel, (see rummage through dusty cabinets and shelves, carelessly
“Lady of the Woods”) which leads to a hidden doorway knocking pots and plates over as though searching for
behind a cabinet in the kitchen. something in particular.
Four charmbreaker devils (APPENDIX B) (PICTURE)
in this kitchen are currently having a crisis: Shilgengar, Iron Chef
the demonic taskmaster in the adjacent dining hall (A5) When the charmbreaker devils spot the adventurers, they
has demanded that they cook him a meal. The fiend has quickly try to bargain with them before the adventurers
not been pleased with the devils’ disastrous attempts at attack:
cooking and threatens to annihilate them if they do not
satisfy him with their next dish. “Wait!” One of the devils speaks to you in broken Common,
Unless the adventurers were exceptionally loud in an “you help us, we help you! Yes? You cook, yes?”
adjacent room, for example casting thunderwave, the
fiends here are so preoccupied smashing things that they If the adventurers are willing to listen, the devils explain
don’t hear even the sounds of battle. their situation trying to cook for Shilgengar. If the
As the adventurers approach the kitchen, they hear: characters help them cook a good meal, the devils will
spike the meal with a potion of sleep, which will put the
You hear a commotion coming from beyond the door: taskmaster into a deep sleep. This arrangement would
ceramics shattering, metal plates clanging on the stone benefit both parties: the PCs can walk past Shilgengar
floor, and anxious guttural shrieks and barks of multiple undisturbed, while the charmbreaker devils get a much-
creatures. needed break from cooking.
The kitchen has a wide array of ingredients that range
Characters that understand the Abyssal language can from reasonable to awful: ripe apples, a human hand, a
make out what the shrieks and barks are saying: “We need worn-out shoe, cinnamon, vials of newt spittle, a rabbit,
more of the green sauce!” “What about more shoe?” “I a hag’s eye, ground pepper, a barrel filled with red wine,
don’t know!” “This is hopeless! Shilgengar is gonna kill and anything else you want to add. The devils have a stew
us!” “We don’t even have taste buds, for Grazz’t’s sake!” heating over a wood-burning stove that has the shoe
floating in water.
If they look inside the kitchen: Should they take the devils’ offer, the adventurers must
cook a meal out of the ingredients. The devils have no
You see four humanoid creatures leaping around a kitchen.

55
Chapter 5: The Perfect Storm
taste buds but will nonetheless attempt to help: “What with five-foot-wide cells, each sealed with an iron barred
about more shoe?” “Ew, apples? They don’t have any door and fitted with a nasty heap of straw.
blood in them!” “Lemme give you a hand (waving around The central region of the room is a well-stocked torture
the human hand)” chamber. Chains and ropes hang from a tangle of pulleys
The adventurer’s end of the bargain is fulfilled once and hooks set in the ceiling, some ending in manacles
they’ve tasted the finished meal and convince the devils and others in clamps or cruel hooks of their own. A rack
that it is tasty. Characters that lie about the food’s taste and an iron maiden round out the chamber’s morbid
must make a Charisma (Deception) check opposed to the furnishings.
fiends’ Wisdom (Insight) so the devils don’t catch them On the southern wall, blocked by kegs and barrels, is
on it. a large wooden door reinforced and barred with thick
iron. An eerie purple light seeps through the cracks and
Developments crevices of the door.
If the party fulfills their end of the deal, the devils spike the
food and drink with a potion of sleep before heading up to This chamber is where Siegfried keeps most of his
present the meal to Shilgengar. If the food is acceptable, prisoners for interrogation and future experiments. If any
the demonlord quickly consumes all of it and promptly characters is captured in Mauer Estate, they eventually end
goes to sleep. If unhappy with the food, however, up naked and imprisoned in one of these cells. Adding a
Shilgengar enters a horrible rage and attacks the devils, prisoner NPC that has ties to a future adventure you have
which cause them to try and flee. planned can be a great hook to move from this story to
The charmbreaker devils defend themselves if the the next.
adventurers attack, giving up on attempts to bargain. A bearded devil (MM p70) named Terilanyx and a lemure
If two devils are killed, the remaining devils attempt to (MM p76) named “Nattdaymon” -- the only gibberish
flee into the dining hall (A5) and inform Shilgengar of “word” it can say -- sit on a pile of loot comprised of all
intruders, joining him in battle. prisoners’ belongings while playing a card game. The
bearded devil is obviously bored and frustrated at having
the nearly brain-dead lemure as its only opponent, wishing
Area A7 - Stables it had a real challenge. A clever and persuasive character
The open-air stables are attached to the eastern wall of may be able to convince the devil into releasing him/her
Mauer Estate. The corpse wagons brought back from the from the cell to play a game.
zombie horde are found here, most of them now empty. Cell Doors. The cell doors feature locks requiring
Four zombies (MM p311) are hauling the last corpses thieves’ tools and a successful DC 13 Dexterity check to
from the wagons into the estate through adjacent double pick. The doors can also be wrenched open by brute force
doors into the dining hall (A5), dumping them on the with a successful DC 22 Strength check.
floor for Ugbug and his helpers to sort out.
Like the other zombies outside, they are totally
indifferent to the characters unless attacked. Adventurers
Hostage Situation
If adventurers come here to rescue an ally, consider having
can enter the dining hall from here without any hassle.
the imprisoned character used as a hostage by Terilanyx,
perhaps already restrained on the rack. The devil threatens
Treasure to kill the prisoner if the adventurers make a wrong move.
Amongst the leftovers in the wagons are three diamonds If the bearded devil has no hostages to leverage, it and
hidden in dirty rags (100 gp each); a potion of flying in a the lemure fight to the best of their abilities.
stoppered vial inside a corpse’s pant pocket; and 23 gp
and 35 sp scattered atop the wagons.
Developments
If a character is imprisoned here, they can either be freed
Area A8 - Cellar by other party members, or by coming up with ways to
The cellar’s entrance juts out from the north wall of the free themselves.
estate. Wooden double doors lead down underneath the The spooky southern door leads to the catacombs,
mansion. which is an opportunity to continue beyond this adventure
(see “Conclusion”). If they’re adamant about opening the
A short flight of stone steps leads down into the cellar door and you don’t wish it to lead anywhere, make it a
floor. Guttering torchlight casts long shadows on the small storage room with a flameskull (MM p134) instead.
arched stone ceiling. The east and west walls are lined

56
Chapter 5: The Perfect Storm
Treasure check, a character notices some grease seeping through
The pile of loot that the lemure and bearded devil sat on the outline of each step, and scrapes along the walls.
has all of the imprisoned character’s equipment along A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check spots
with the equipment of previous prisoners: amongst a pressure plate or trapdoor if they have vision of it. A
the junk are five javelins, two spears, a shortsword two search of the floor accompanied by a successful DC 15
longswords, a light crossbow, studded leathers, and Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals variations in
two quivers holding twenty crossbow bolts each. There the mortar and stone that betray the pressure plate’s
is one standout amongst the pile: demonmail hauberk presence. The same check while inspecting the ceiling at
(APPENDIX A). the top of the stairs reveals the trapdoor. Wedging an iron
Hidden inside the straw pile of an empty cell is a silver spike or other object under the pressure plates prevents
earring set with a tiny ruby (30gp) and a banded gold the trap from activating (or just step over it).
ring dotted with emeralds (50gp). Characters searching When the trap is activated, all creatures standing on
the straw pile finds them both with a DC 12 Intelligence the stairs must immediately make a DC 13 Dexterity
(Investigation) check. saving throw as the staircase flips over and turns into a
The barrels contain salted pork and beef, flour, sugar, slippery ramp. On a failed save, the character falls prone
apples, and ale. and slides down the ramp, sliding 30 feet per round. A
character that successfully saves may still need to make
additional Dexterity saving throws if creatures above the
Awarding Experience Points character are sliding down into him/her.
Divide 1,065 XP equally among the characters if the party
After the stairs flip over into a greasy ramp, the sconces
defeats the lemure and bearded devil.
drop the torches, lighting the grease on fire. Characters
standing in the flames take 1d4 fire damage at the start
Area A9 - Tower Staircase of each of its turns. Characters that fell prone and are
A 10-foot wide, spiraling stone staircase starts at the main drenched in grease catch fire, taking 1d6 fire damage of
hall (A2) and goes up 50 feet to the alchemy lab (A10). each of its turns and require a DC 13 Dexterity check to
Sconces along the wall hold burning torches, keeping the extinguish the flames.
staircase brightly lit. Finally, once the stairs turn into a flaming greasy ramp,
all affected creatures must roll initiative. The sphere rolls
(Warning! Below is a deliciously evil trap that sadistic initiative with a +8 bonus. On its turn, it rolls 50 feet down
DMs will get a kick out of. However, if the characters are the ramp. The sphere can move through creatures’ spaces,
already at low health, it may be best to skip/nerf this trap and creatures can move through its space, treating it as
as the results may be lethal.) difficult terrain Whenever the sphere enters a creature’s
space or a creature enters its space while it’s rolling, that
Slip n’ Slide of Doom creature must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw
Mechanical trap or take 4d10 bludgeoning damage and an additional 1d6

Of the 60 steps in the staircase, step 30 and

40 are both pressure plates. When 20 or more
pounds of pressure are placed on either of this
trap’s pressure plates, a chain of events happen:
• all the stone steps in the staircase flip
over, transforming into a ramp covered in
slippery grease
• the sconces drop the burning torches,
lighting the grease on fire
• finally, a hidden trapdoor in the ceiling at
the top of the staircase opens, releasing
a 10-foot diameter rolling sphere of solid
stone down the ramp, picking up the
flaming grease as it rolls so it becomes a
fiery boulder of doom

With a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Perception)

57
Art by Rob Alexander
fire damage and be knocked prone. The sphere stops Hatching The Egg. A lightning vane (fancy lightning
when it hits a wall at the bottom of the staircase or similar rod) attached to the platform can be raised up into the
barrier. storm, channeling lightning strikes into The Egg. Raising
the lightning vane this way requires an action to turn a
Developments crank. Each round the lightning vane is raised, lightning
If the trap is triggered, the staircase stays on fire until strikes it, jolting The Egg. After five lightning strikes, The
doused or naturally dies out after a minute once all the Egg hatches into The Thing (APPENDIX B) (PICTURE).
grease is burned. When the grease is cleared, walking up The Thing’s immediate desire is to escape the laboratory.
the ramp isn’t difficult. It only attacks people in its way, including Siegfried. If
A triggered trap causes a big ruckus, informing Siegfried reduced to half its hit points, The Thing tears off the roof
of intruders. and attempts to flee into the wilderness.

Awarding Experience Points Entering The Laboratory

Divide 1,800 XP equally among the characters if the party The adventurers are most likely to enter through the
disarms, purposefully avoids, or triggers the slip n’ slide staircase (A9) that connects the lab to the main hall.
of doom. Alternatively, they may be entering through the open hatch
in the ceiling, or up the dumbwaiter (A5). Whichever way
they enter, read or paraphrase the following as their first
Area A10 - Alchemy Lab glance inside:
At the top of the tower is the alchemy lab. Siegfried has
spent the last few months here, working relentlessly day The misty interior of the laboratory glows with a flickering
and night on his experiments. His foul work has attracted radiance and hums with power. Metal rods and spheres
a small following of demons that are interested in seeing jutting from the floors and ceilings are awash in electricity.
his goals realized. The fiends aid in his work and whisper A jungle of glass tubes and metal wires sprawl all over
dark secrets in his ear, pushing the alchemist towards the floor, walls, and ceiling, connecting the strange
greater acts of depravity. contraptions found here with everything else.
Siegfried is currently at the cusp of completing his An open ceiling hatch exposes the laboratory to the
grandest achievement yet: he is about to give life to a new, raging storm above. A metal platform is raised up to the
immensely powerful being of his own design (The Egg; opening, with a huge, slimy purple egg strapped on top
see below), which the alchemist hopes will lead his army of it.
of undead against the vampire families.
The most notable features of the room to spot are:
Galvanizing Life • Large glass incubators containing bulky malformed
To wake his new creations, the mad scientist must humanoids floating inside luminous greenish-blue
bestow upon them “the spark of life,” which requires a liquids; these are schmelzmen (APPENDIX B)
tremendous amount of power. • A metal platform with a humanoid figure lying down
Siegfried has built a complex device called a galvanizer on it, hidden under a bloodstained sheet; this is a
-- a machine of sprawling tubes, wires, coils, and lightning flesh golem (MM p169)
rods that covers his entire lab from floor to rooftop -- to • A second metal platform adorned with lightning rods,
provide this power. Siegfried uses the galvanizer to create raised up to the ceiling hatch and exposed to the
the raging storm overhead, collecting the electricity from thunderstorm above; it holds The Egg
the lightning strikes to “shock” his creations to life.
Siegfried is too engrossed in his work to be bothered
The Egg keeping an eye on the rest of the estate. If the adventurers
An open ceiling hatch exposes the laboratory to the managed to reach the laboratory without triggering the
raging storm above. A metal platform is raised up to the trap in the staircase (A9), no one warned Siegfried of
opening, with a huge, slimy purple egg strapped on top of intruders (A5), and The Egg doesn’t scream, use the
the platform. The Egg rhythmically expands and contracts Caught Unaware scenario below. If Siegfried is warned of
like a beating heart. the party’s presence, use the Ready for Action scenario
Attacking The Egg. The Egg has 60 hit points. If attacked, instead.
it releases a psychic scream of pain, immediately alerting
everyone in the laboratory. Caught Unaware

58
Chapter 5: The Perfect Storm
 Art by Jason Felix

mage armor already cast on himself.

Flipping Switches. Once combat
begins, Siegfried’s primary goal is to
distract the adventurers long enough
for The Egg to hatch. He runs across
the lab to flip two switches: the first
animates the schmelzmen and the
second animates the flesh golem.
He can flip one switch as per turn
as a free action. He prefers to start
combat by casting invisibility, since
flipping switches does not break the
spell.
Here is a general sequence of
actions that Siegfried will take during
combat, along with sample dramatic
banter the mad scientist likes to
engage in. Siegfried in this crazed
state is based heavily off Victor
Frankenstein in popular culture.
The mad scientist also engages in
Siegfried (APPENDIX B) paces through the laboratory, dramatic banter:
making sure everything is running smoothly and he barking • 1st Round: Siegfried casts invisibility on himself and
orders to his homunculus assistant, Oglor (APPENDIX B). taunts the adventurers. He flips a switch, sending
Qarr, a quasit (MM 63), observes invisibly from a corner. a pulse of electricity that shatters the incubators,
The fiend is alert for trouble and actively scans the area animating three schmelzmen (APPENDIX B) that
(Passive Perception 15); ironically, Qarr is rather skittish immediately attack the party
around creations that have a habit of randomly springing • “So the Voldarens have managed to breach my
to life and causing the poor quasit a bit of a scare. sanctum. You’ve come just in time, bloodsuckers:
witness the fruits of my labor!”
A man in a long white coat strides excitedly through the • 2nd Round: Siegfried flips the second switch, sending
laboratory, flipping switches and turning knobs with his a massive pulse of electricity that animates the narstad
thick rubber gloves, pausing only for a moment to watch scrapper (APPENDIX B), which immediately attacks
their effects. He barks orders across the room at small the party. Siegfried also instructs Oglor to raise the
green-skinned humanoid, who’s “head” is a giant eyeball lightning vane.
encased in a bronze helmet with a large telescope lens • “Behold! I create life with the flip of a switch! I am a
to peer out of. “The storm is ready to harness! Oglor, GOD!”
increase the rotational speed of the flux capacitor to eighty • “The storm has reached peak potency! Oglor, raise the
percent!” lightning vane!”

The adventurers have a surprise round if none of the lab’s Siegfried only engages the adventurers directly if they
occupants notice them. attack The Egg or are clearly gaining the upper hand in the
battle. Siegfried fearlessly defends his life’s work, casting
Ready For Action his most powerful spells to fight off the adventurers and
If alerted to the adventurer’s presence ahead of time, then fighting to the death if he must.
Siegfried, Qarr, and Oglor are on alert for intruders, each “NO! I have worked too hard to see my dreams ruined
of them gaining +5 to their Passive Perception to catch by the likes of you! I will have my revenge!”
anyone trying to sneak in. Oglor raises the lightning vane when commanded to by
turning a crank (see “The Egg”). Oglor avoids combat as
Combat! long as no one interferes with its task.
Siegfried is convinced that the adventurers are either Qarr is not a fighter and is content to observe while
vampires or servants of them. It would take a tremendous invisible.
effort to talk him out of a fight. He starts the fight with

59
Chapter 5: The Perfect Storm
Developments and must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking
This battle is quite dangerous. In the event that the party 5d6 poison damage on a failed save, or half as much on a
is defeated, Siegfried imprisons the surviving characters successful one.
in the cellar (A8) for future interrogation and experiments. The chest contains a silver locket with a picture of a
If defeated and taken captive, Siegfried’s madness young woman inside (Katarina), a silver torc with soaring
cannot be fixed in an instant (though a wish spell or herons (80 gp), six moonstones of 50 gp each, 200 sp, 90
similar powerful magic might). Bringing him back to gp, and 10 pp.
sanity is certainly possible, but the healing process takes A thorough search of the room yields several letters
time and effort. The best immediate effect an adventurer to Siegfried from Geralf, a cousin and infamous stitcher
can hope for is to at least calm him down. currently operating in the Moorland. Geralf’s letters
Oglor is loyal to Siegfried, its master. However, if reveals an exchange on necro-alchemy information
Siegfried is slain, it views his killer as its new master. between the two. In the last dated letter, Geralf praises
Oglor can’t speak, but it tries to convey its wish to serve his cousin’s brilliance, stating that he put into practice
through gestures. Siegfried’s blueprints for a modern “goliath skaab” and it
Qarr, while seemingly working under Siegfried as well, turned out “better than I could ever have hoped.” Geralf
actually serves a more powerful archdemon; who that has named this creation Grimgrin, and invites Siegfried
mysterious patron is up to you. The quasit was tasked to join him and his sister in Gavony, where they plan to
to corrupt Siegfried by this patron. At your discretion, march on Thraben itself soon. If the characters deliver
Qarr may offer to serve as a familiar to one of the party these letters to the proper authorities in Gavony, award
members, tempting the character with power/info/wealth the party 4,000 XP.
as appropriate, with a hidden agenda to keep tabs on the The laboratory is littered with specialized alchemical
party’s movements. Or the quasit may try to escape and tools and devices, glass jars full of pickled organs,
inform the mysterious patron on the adventurers’ actions anatomical charts for both human and beast, rune-
– up to you! engraved skeletal remains, dozens of tools for inscribing
Should the tubes, wires, coils, and other machinery runes on brass and copper plates, and on. In total, the
that the galvanizer consists of be significantly damaged laboratory would be worth 80,000 gp to necro-alchemists
from area of effect spells or direct attacks (your in Nephalia, but moving this equipment is highly
discretion), or if the adventurers manage to switch it off, impracticle and dismantling it by someone not trained in
then the thunderstorm disperses and the radiant wards alchemy can easily destroy the fragile equipment.
surrounding the tower fade away.
If you wish to use the NPC Sir Delandel, the Undead Awarding Experience Points
Paladin, characters can find him trapped inside a steel Divide 1,800 XP equally among the characters if the party
incubator. Siegfried found Delandel in Mauer Estate and defeats Siegfried and his minions. Award an additional
hooked him up to the galvanizer; he is unwilling the source 500 XP if the characters find the missing piece of the
for the protective radiant wards that surround the tower. Strionic Resonator.

Treasure Milestone: Level 5!

Siegfried wears the electric recombobulator (APPENDIX A) If you are using Milestone Experience, then the characters
and has one scroll of each of the following: alarm, catapult, attain 5th level as you conclude this adventure!
false life, mage armor, mirror image, and lightning bolt. In
addition, Siegfried carries the broken missing piece of the
Strionic Resonator and a key to a chest.
A chest is tucked underneath Siegfried’s work desk.
The chest’s padlock can be picked using thieves’ tools
Conclusion
With hard work and a little luck, the adventurers have
with a successeful DC 20 Dexterity check. However, the defeated Siegfried and undone his destructive plots.
lock is rigged with a poison needle trap that triggers if All in Stensia will take note of their deeds: the humans
a character isn’t pressing down a concealed button on of Stensia shall be grateful for years to come, and the
the side of the chest while opening the chest. The needle vampire families will surely take note of these new heroes
and button can both be found with a successful DC 20 as well.
Intelligence (Investigation) check and can be disarmed By the end of the adventure, the characters should be
with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check. A creature 5th level. If your players wish to continue playing their
triggering the needle trap is injected with wyvern poison characters, you can use the contents of this setting to

60
Chapter 5: The Perfect Storm
create your own adventures. Innistrad is a world teeming priests are in fact cultists in disguise.
with possibility. Below are some potential hooks to spur • The siege of Thraben happens in earnest, and the
your imagination: adventurers play a crucial role in its defense alongside
Thalia.
Stensia
• explore the hidden catacombs under Mauer Estate, Kessig
where an ancient order of Paladins used to hide away • the people of Kessig have always had a rough
from the world powerful relics of evil that could not relationship with the Church, resenting the Church’s
be destroyed disconnect with the realities of this wild place and
• the vampire families have taken notice of the balking at the “Curfew of Silver.” With Avacyn gone,
adventurer’s deeds; perhaps they “reward” them for Kessigers are in the midst of a crisis of faith.
taking care of Siegfried, or perhaps they feel threatened • Ferocious howlpacks run wild over Kessig, forcing
by their power countless humans to take up residence in walled
• adventurers may find out the fate of Katarina: perhaps settlements protected by too few angels and cathars.
she wasn’t killed, but rather turned into a vampire. Or Sigarda, leader of the Flight of Herons, is in desperate
perhaps she managed to escape the vampires. need of heroes to deal with the howlpack alphas.
• With Avacyn’s protective spells failing, the druids of
Gavony Kessig have went back to old, ancient magic of the
• Geralf and Gisa are planning to march against forest. While they are getting results, rumors abound
Thraben. The Church of Avacyn brushes this news that sinister sources are behind some of the seemingly
aside, explaining they have more pressing matters. “benevolent” nature magic.
• The heart of the Skirsdag cult’s operations is revealed: • Katarina’s uncle, Hanns Reinhart, is one of Innistrad’s
Thraben, the seat of the Church itself. Many high most venerated astronomers. She had hoped Hanns

61
 would know the secret to using the Strionic Resonator,
but he has apparrently disappeared from his home in
Kessig after a werewolf attack.

Nephalia
• The adventurers need to locate an important item
which is said to be found in Nephalia’s seedy
underground passages known as The Erdwal
• The Stormkirk vampires are willing to provide a
service to the adventurers if they deal with a situation
for them: kill the vampire sorceress Jeleva, Nephalia’s
Scourge.
• Siegfried’s alchemical notes repeatedly mention the
Strionic Resonator. The only person that can decipher
their meanings is the reclusive alchemist in Nephalia;
Ludevic of Ulm.
• The Fauchard, an order of human vampire hunters,
requests the adventurer’s aid for their most dangerous
hunt yet.
• Jenrik, irrefutably the most knowledgable astronomer
in all of Innistrad, spends his days studying the moon
in his glittering tower on the Silver Beach. If anyone
can figure out the Strionic Resonator’s secrets, it’s
him.

Planeswalkers
• Sorin Markov seeks the aid of the adventurers in
finding Avacyn. The Dark Prince of Innistrad has
long ago been banished from Markov Manor, and his
vampirism makes it difficult to journey into human
settlements. He may ask the adventurers to pay a visit
his old ancestral home or follow leads in a human
district.
• Liliana Vess has left a path of destruction in her search
for the demon Griselbrand. She may strike a deal with
the adventurers to help uncover Skirsdag cultists to
interrogate about the demon’s whereabouts.
• Tamiyo studies Innistrad’s silver moon in Nephalia.
She may ask the adventurers for assistance locating
old tomes about the moon, or aid in her dangerous
experiments.

62
APPENDIX A: Special Items
 only a day or two before becoming inert.
APPENDIX A: Special Human settlements that are close to vampires make
sure to have close access to living wood in an attempt to
Items fend off attacks. This is especially true in province Stensia,
where many powerful vampire families live. In small
villages, the cottages are usually around a small grove
Special Properties of hawthorn trees for centralized access to living wood.
The following are materials that have special properties in
In larger villages, the cottages themselves are often built
the world of Innistrad.
around a hawthorn, with the tree’s trunk in the center of
the common room and its leaves above the roof.
Blessed Silver A weapon made of living wood deals an extra 1d6
Pure silver that has been ritually blessed by a powerful damage to vampires. If a piercing weapon made of living
cleric of Avacyn is called blessed silver. According to wood is driven into the vampire’s heart, the vampire is
alchemists, silver’s purity of material readily absorbs destroyed.
divine magic. Blessed silver is used as protective warding
against evil creatures, weaving it into clothing or engraving
the material into door frames to keep spirits out. Magic Items
Arrowheads, spearpoints, and other weapons made Loot Cards. All the new magic items in this adventure also
from blessed silver can be powerful instruments for come with card handout versions that you can download
fighting evil creatures, especially werewolves. Smiths here. They fit perfectly in a Magic card sleeve on top of
capable of forging such weapons are called silversmiths, a random Magic card. Cursed items have an additional
usually clergy that are trained in the art of weapon- innocent-looking version you can use until the curse is
making, or a weaponsmith working alongside clergy. fully revealed; for example, when the party acquires Elbrus,
Certain blessings must be said at certain times during the the Binding Blade, you can give them Shapshifter’s Blade
forging process to properly imbue the silver weapon with until they discover the true nature of the weapon.
divine magic. Because of the difficulty of imbuing silver
with strong magic, and its usefulness against the growing Cursed Items. Some of the magic items described here
threat of werewolves, silversmiths are particularly revered are cursed. Most methods of identifying items, including
in their communities. the identify spell, fail to reveal such a curse, although lore
A weapon made of blessed silver has a +1 bonus to might hint at it. A curse should be a surprise to the item’s
attack rolls against lycanthropes, fiends, and undead. user when the curse’s effects are revealed. Cursed items
A lycanthrope struck by this weapon takes an extra 1d6 come with two loot cards: a hidden version that doesn’t
radiant damage. reveal the curse, and then the revealed version that shows
what the curse does. It’s recommended you only show
the receiver of the item the hidden version until they learn
Living Wood exactly what the curse does, then give them the cursed
Although vampires can be harmed or killed by any
version.
weapon, living wood have special efficacy. This is dubbed
Attunement to a cursed item can’t be ended voluntarily
the Dryad’s Legacy (dead wood is inert, no more effective
unless the curse is broken first, such as with the remove
than stone or steel.) Newly cut wood has this property for
curse spell.

Avacyn’s Collar
LOOT CARD
Wondrous item, common

Hanging from this necklace of blessed silver is a large

symbol of Avacyn. The collar can feel immensely heavy
or light as a feather, depending on the wearer’s feelings
towards Avacyn.
Wearing this chain grants a bonus +2 DC to any Channel
Divinity class ability the wearer uses that requires a
savings throw.

63
Art by Jason Felix
Art by Eric Deschamps APPENDIX A: Special Items
Butcher’s Cleaver crossbow.
LOOT CARD Devour Soul. Whenever you use it to reduce a creature to
Weapon (handaxe), rare (requires attunement) 0 hit points, Elbrus slays the creature and devours its soul
if it has one. A creature whose soul has been devoured by
You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made Elbrus can be restored to life only by a Wish spell. When
with this magic weapon. The butcher’s cleaver has jagged it devours a soul, Elbrus grants you temporary hit points
notches and scrapes all along its blade from heavy use. equal to twice your character level.
When it hasn’t spilt blood for over a day, the cleaver Keep track of how many souls are devoured by Elbrus.
begins to rapidly deteriorate, its blade becoming dull and For every 6 creatures slain this way, the weapon gains an
lined with rust. additional +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls.
When you deal damage to a creature that has blood Curse. This dagger is cursed, holding the trapped
with this magic weapon, the cleaver sucks up some of essence of the demon lord Withengar. Becoming attuned
the blood it spills, returning to pristine condition and you to it extends the curse to you. As long as you remain
regain 1 hit point. cursed, any time you attack with weapons other than this
one, you must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw.
On a failed save, the weapon is unknowingly swapped
Demonmail Hauberk out with this one, taking the same form of the previous
LOOT CARDS: HIDDEN, REVEALED
weapon.
Armor (chain mail), rare (requires attunement)
Once eighteen creatures have been slain with the
Devour Soul ability, the weapon shatters, and Withengar
You have a +2 bonus to AC while wearing this armor.
is unleashed. He is a balor (MM 55). How Withengar acts
The metal rings composing this hauberk glimmer as if
after being released from his centuries-long imprisonment
reflecting torchlight and smells faintly of brimstone.
is up to you.
When worn, it fits perfectly on the wearer; like a second
Unlike most curses, the trapped essence of Withengar
skin.The metal rings do not jingle when you move around,
cannot be destroyed by a remove curse spell. At the
so you don’t take the usual disadvantage to Dexterity
DM’s discretion, the spell may be sufficient to break the
(Stealth) checks.
wielder’s attunement to the dagger, but far more powerful
Curse. The Demonmail Hauberk is cursed, a fact that is
magic must be employed to destroy the demon lord.
revealed only when you attune to it. Attuning to the armor
curses you: the hauberk merges with your skin, making
(GM’s discretion on what creatures count as having a
it impossible to doff without ripping your skin off. The
soul. Most playthroughs counted all humans, spirits, and
curse can be dispelled if you are targeted by the remove
vampires as having souls, while zombies and skeletons
curse spell or similar magic, or by physically removing the
do not. Feel free to change how many souls are needed
armor from your body.
to release the campaign-altering demon: 18 means it’s
Physically removing the armor is a horribly excruciating
unlikely to be released during this adventure, so if you
process. You must deal 10d10 total slashing damage
want to see it released earlier you can lower it to 13, 7, or
to yourself as you rip the hauberk off your body, tearing
whatever else)
your skin off with it. You can take your time removing the
armor, dealing a minimum 1d10 damage a time, until
you deal the total 10d10 damage to remove the hauberk
completely.

Elbrus, the Binding Blade

LOOT CARDS: HIDDEN, REVEALED
Weapon (dagger), legendary (requires attunement)

You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with

this magic weapon.
Change Form. While attuned to this weapon, you can
use a bonus action to change this weapon’s form into any
other ranged or melee weapon. For example, you can use
a bonus action to turn this weapon into a +1 longsword,
and then a subsequent bonus action to turn it into a +1

Art by Eric Deschamps

64
APPENDIX A: Special Items
 Art by James Paick
Electric Recombobulator
LOOT CARD
Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

The electric recombobulator is composed of a

geist-tank that is connected via alternator tubes
to a power gauntlet. The geist tank is typically
harnessed to your back, the power gauntlet worn on
one hand. The recombobulator has the power to launch
the very particles constructing your body through an
electric current and reconstruct them magnetically once it
reaches it’s destination.
Lightning Leap. While wearing the recombobulator,
you can use an action to transform yourself into a line
of lightning, similar to that created by the lightning bolt
spell. This line can be of any length from 10 feet to 60
feet. Your body instantly reconstructs at the nearest
unoccupied space at the opposite end of the line, along Moonsilver Spear
with any gear worn or carried (up to a maximum of your LOOT CARD
heavy load limit). Each creature in the line must make a Weapon (spear), rare (requires attunement)

Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 6d6 lightning You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with
damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a this magic weapon made of blessed silver.
successful one. The recombobulator can’t be used this Angelic Summons. You can use an action to speak this
way again until the next dawn. spear’s command word, summoning a guardian angel to
smite a foe within 60 feet of you that you can see. The
target must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. The
Ghoulcaller’s Bell target takes 4d6 radiant damage on a failed save, or half as
LOOT CARD much damage on a successful save. The angel disappears
Wondrous item, uncommon after delivering its strike. This property can’t be used again
This bell is crafted from the upper half of an imp’s skull until the next dawn.
and molded with iron. The word “grave” is engraved on
the skull in Infernal. Its chime is inaudible to the living, Vial of Life’s Blood
but the dead hear it loud and clear. Potion, uncommon
You can speak the word “grave” in Infernal while holding
the ghoulcaller’s bell to conjure a fresh human corpse. You regain 6d4+6 hit points when drinking this potion.
The bell can’t be used this way again until the next dawn. In addition, whenever a vampire bites you or otherwise
Ringing the bell allows you to cast Command as a 2nd drinks your blood, it takes 2d10 acid damage. This effect
level spell, except it only can affect undead. The bell can’t lasts for an hour.
be used this away again until the next dawn.
Violin of Banishing Light
Message Bottle LOOT CARD
Wondrous item, uncommon Wondrous item, uncommon

When you speak a message into this bottle, the words This violin is an exquisite example of its kind, perfect in
take on the tangible form of a silvery mist that swirls every way. The wood is thinly lined with blessed silver.
inside it that can be immediately sealed. Once the bottle While holding the violin, you can use your action to
is unsealed, the silvery mist escapes and the message is play it and cast the Daylight spell with it. To maintain
repeated to whomever holds the bottle, then fades away. Concentration on the spell, you must additionally make
a DC 10 Charisma (Performance) check each round. The
violin can’t be used this way again until the next dawn.

65
APPENDIX A: Special Items
APPENDIX B: Monsters
The following is a list of all the monsters/NPCs the CHAPTER 5:
characters may encounter in the adventure, divided by dryad (121)
chapters. The monster’s statistics are found either in the zombie (316)
Monster Manual (page number), otherwise it’s included gargoyle (140)
here in this APPENDIX: mimic (220)
animated armor (19)
CHAPTER 1: flying sword (20)
skeleton (272) vampire spawn (298)
swarm of skeletal bats demonlord of ashmouth
demonlord of ashmouth crawling claw (44)
hellrider charmbreaker devil
ashmouth hound bearded devil (70)
smoke mephit (217) lemure (76)
shadow (269) flameskull (134)
giant spider (328) schmelzmen
giant wolf spider (330) flesh golem (169)
commoner (345) Siegfried
werewolf (206) Oglor
quasit (63)
CHAPTER 2: the thing
guard (347)
thug (350)
cult fanatic (345)
mage (347)
priestess (348)
twig blight (32)
vine blight (32)
poltergeist (279)

CHAPTER 3:
zombie (316)
skeleton (272)
skaab goliath
cult fanatic (345)
guard (347)
priest (348)
specter (279)
thug (350)

CHAPTER 4:
hellhound (182)
will-o’-wisp (301)
grell (172)
shambling mound (270)
commoner (345)
fire geist
vampire spawn warrior

66
APPENDIX B: Monsters
PICTURE

Devils and skirsdag cultists create ashmouth hounds by

ritually binding fire elementals native to the ashmouth
chasm with unwilling canine hosts. The unholy union
of elemental and beast causes unending agony to the
merged entity as its flames constantly sears its own flesh. PICTURE
The twisted creature’s sole purpose is to inflict pain and
destruction on others, which is the only fleeting distraction Though they do not need to eat or drink to survive,
from the agony it endures. charmbreaker devils delight in consuming magic, be it
a magic spell, item, or even practitioner. They can smell
magical auras and can track their scent within a mile
radius. Once the source of the magic is discovered, they
will tear it to shreds and gleefully slurp up the magical
essence. The more potent the magic source, the greater
the feast for the devils.

67
 A fire geist is the anguished spirit of an individual that
died a gruesome death by fire. When they cannot find
peace in the Blessed Sleep, or their sleep is disturbed,
they manifest in the material world take take out their pain
and hate on anyone that dares disturb them.

PICTURE

In the strict demon hiearchy, demonlords are near the top,

controlling specific regions in Innistrad and commanding
lesser devils, demons, and cultists to do their bidding. They
work directly under archdemons, coveting their masters’
power and planning for the day they can overthrow them.
Shilgengar is the demonlord of the ashmouth region in
Stensia. He is famous for creating great famines in the
lands, to the point that his horse skull head became a
symbol for famine to the people of Innistrad.

68
PICTURE
PICTURE
While some fiends prefer malicious pranks and taunting
innocents, hellriders revel in bloodshed and destruction. A stitcher’s apprentice is a special type of homunculus
They often serve as shock troops to more powerful fiends, designed to assist skabaren, or “stitchers,” in laboratory
leading the charge into battle atop their ashmouth hound work. Their giant eyeball “heads” and dextrous hands are
mounts. perfectly suited for tiny, precise detail work. A master can
have only one stitched apprentice at a time, but unlike
regular homonculi, a stitcher apprentice does not die
when its master dies.
Shared Mind. A stitcher apprentice knows everything
its creator knows, including all the languages the creator
can speak and read. Likewise, everything the construct
senses is known to its master, even over great distances,
provided both are on the same plan.

69
 A schmelzman, or “melting man,” is a type of undead
created by stitchers. While skaabs are the product of
month’s work of careful preparation, building, and
conditioning, schmelzmen are considered rushed
products. They are made by melting down the flesh
PICTURE of humanoids in stinking vats filled with acid and foul
ingredients, and then animating it with electricity.
Rinelda was only six years old when her village was A melting man looks vaguely humanoid; its acidic flesh
overrun by the undead. Her innate talents at commanding constantly sloughs off its body only to be immediately
the undead kept her alive, but weren’t enough to stop the replaced by its regenerative tissues. The spark that give
ravenous ghouls from tearing apart her parents right in schemlzmen life is highly unstable and they’re prone to
front of her eyes. Since then, Rinelda has prided herself as explode if damaged, which stitchers generally consider to
a survivor, wandering the province of Stensia and taking be a “happy accident.”
what she wants with her entourage of undead minions.
Recently, the teen necromancer has begun studying
under Siegfried, eagerly doing the mad man’s bidding and
learning as much as she can before she eventually moves
to usurp his operations in Mauer Estate.

70
APPENDIX B: Monsters
PICTURE

Skaabs are Innistrad’s version of Frankenstein’s Monster.

They are alchemically vivified constructions of flesh,
made from various anatomical parts of corpses, stitched
together and bound with binding plates, and filled with
vital fluid. Compared to zombies risen by ghoulcallers,
skaabs require far more work to create but result in
stronger, calmer, and more trainable creatures.
Skaabs Goliaths are the largest category of skaabs, made
from the body parts of at least a dozen corpses. They are
the ultimate zombie for physical labor, from carrying huge Scholars have long speculated why bats in Stensia are
supplies to knocking down reinforced gates. prone to animate as skeletons, gathering themselves
together into vicious swarms with an insatiable hunger for
the living. It could be that the bats are naturally prone to
the evil necromantic energy that infuses the land -- though
they’re just as likely to be the product of vampires, created
to control specific roads or simply for amusement.

71
APPENDIX B: Monsters
 PICTURE

The culmination of Siegfried’s last explorations in alchemy,

this abomination combines the choice traits of a variety of
creatures. The end result is a huge, reptilian beast with
the strength of a dozen men and an even more voracious
appetite.

PICTURE

Once an alchemist living in Shadowgrange, Siegfried

dedicated his life to protecting his people from the
supernatural horrors of Innistrad. When his fiancee,
Katarina Brunn, was kidnapped by the Voldarens, Siegfried
left his home, vowing revenge on the vampires that stole
his beloved and his countrymen that stood idly by while it
happened.
Combat Tactics. Siegfried uses invisibility to get around
a battlefield without being disturbed. When pressed into
combat, he casts mirror image, then lets loose lightning
bolts and chromatic orbs. Siegfried uses his reaction to
either cast shield (if hit) or counterspell (if a nasty spell
is directed at him). Finally, lightning leap and misty step
allow him to escape melee range if an adventurer is up in
his face.

72
APPENDIX B: Monsters
PICTURE
Innistrad vampires do not sleep in a coffin, nor are they
severely hampered by sunlight. The origins of their creation
gave them other flaws, however, such as a vulnerability to
living wood and a fear of their own horrible reflections.
For more information on Innistrad’s unique twist on
vampires and the vampires families that rule Stensia,
check out the Planeswalker’s Guide to Stensia.

73
APPENDIX C: Handouts
You can download high quality versions of all the props and
handouts from this adventure here. These are meant to be
shown to the players, so it would be best to print these
out seperately and handed to them when the adventure
prompts you to. Here is the list of handouts in the order
that they appear in the APPENDIX; where they are found
in the adventure, and high-quality download links:
• Geralf’s coded letter: found in the alchemist’s
basement (p22)
• Katarina’s music puzzle: found in the music room
(p23)
• All the new magic items in card form
• All the maps made for this adventure

Credits
This adventure was created by me, Tomer Abramovici,
also known on Reddit as /u/SpiketailDrake or on Twitter
@BudgetCommander . I had a lot of help along the way,
and exceptionally talented folks contributed to this final
product:
• Player’s Guide to Innistrad: Human Variants, along
with all the maps included in this adventure, were
created by redditor /u/Nihilates
• Geralf’s coded letter found in the basement of the
alchemy shop in Chapter 2 was created by redditor
/u/RanAngel

Thank you to Wizards of the Coast for both D&D and the
Innistrad setting, without both I wouldn’t be able to write
this adventure. Special shoutout to Wizards’ creative team
including Doug Beyer. I loved the Savor the Flavor series
and Uncharted Realms!

Big thanks to both the Reddit and GiTP communities for

their input and support., along with the folks on Google
who helped me tweak the final product.

And, of course, thank you to my playgroup for letting me

test all my evil traps on :-)

74
APPENDIX C: Handouts