Don't Say Christmas (5e Quest)

Work In Progress

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Adventure Background

10,000 years ago, a powerful entity appeared and enraptured the snowy land of Santesis with her mesmerizing voice during their annual celebration of Christmas. This siren knew only one song, and it was enough to sow innumerable seeds of chaos. Her voice drove people mad. It made them fight among another endlessly, drive their own families into financial ruin, and even commit self harm when they could no longer have sense due to her influence. This voice of discord was sealed away by a brave group of adventurers within an enchanted vault so that her voice could not escape and the people of Santesis had reprieve from her havoc. Superstition regarding the seal speckles Santesian culture today, with adults warning children never to say the word "Christmas" lest they unknowingly weaken the seal. Terms like "Saturnalia" or "White Eve" were made to circumvent the original holiday name, and Santesians have celebrated in relative peace since then.

However, the seal, once thought to be impregnable, now seems to be on the verge of breaking. No one is sure why, but the entity within must be contained at all costs, lest her voice wreak chaos through the land once more. The people of Santesis need your help to vanquish this threat and reseal her. The name of this entity that descended from the ether one day... is Mah'rya Caerie.

Overview

The adventure is largely a dungeon crawl within the space that Mah'rya Caerie is sealed, which is a vault of sorts. The construction was meant to confuse Mah'rya if she should escape, but also to bar curious or malevolent people who might free her. The DM is free to add a slog to get to the vault itself, but that is not included here.

The vault is primarily a maze right before the actual seal, which is a large dial-like door shaped like a solar calendar. The players will also discover clues along the way regarding why the seal is suddenly weakening this year, though dealing with the cause is optional. The climax is a showdown with the entity of Mah'rya, who is an eldritch manifestation in this plane. There are two ways to run this battle: one, the players can defeat Mah'rya, though she cannot be killed permanently and will resurrect the next time Christmas rolls around; two, the players are not meant to actually defeat Mah'rya, but rather they must fix the seal that will imprison her once more. Either way, the seal must be fixed for Santesis to be safe once more.

Hook

The town of Eartmann, a start point in Santesis

Obviously, the people of Santesis are looking to repeat the success of the original group of adventurers that sealed Mah'rya away. However, they also aren't the smartest bunch about it, nor are they the most generous of hirers despite how dire the situation may get. However, they are not the only ones aware of the problem (luckily).

• A town neighboring the lands of Santesis, called Evien, could be where adventurers stop to take a break. There, they might hear about the competition being held to see who can fix the seal of Mah'rya. The competition is being held by Arlatar Freesian, a descendant of one of the original adventurers that sealed Mah'rya. Equipped with the journals of his ancestor, Arlatar disseminates this information among adventurers willing to answer his plea. The journal's hints are not entirely complete, but Arlatar at least sees the urgency and need to quickly get the seal fixed. He is an eager hirer and will likely try roping the party into the contest. Using his own funds, Arlatar is promising two hundred gold pieces to whoever repairs the seal. He is also well connected with some Santesians, who will be his eyes and ears on participants to make sure they actually get the job done.

• Santesis is a town known for revelry around its snow-capped forests and such. They have a market selling snow and ice to be shipped to warmer climates, as well as bearskins and evergreen wood. The town leaders, a council of twelve elders, are rather stingy. They are aware of the impending danger concerning Mah'rya's weakening seal, and have offered 50 gold in the local guild hall to those willing to undertake the task of resealing Mah'rya. This job, despite paying rather poorly, is publicized over all else and will be shoved down the throats of any adventurers. Even locals will be inclined to tell adventurers of this "opportunity" and with more urgency than their own leaders. Some local service providers, like the inns or shops, are advertising that they will foot the bill for adventurers who undertake the quest. There is a local magic shop that might even be willing to give a freebie or two if you can help out!

• Some people are less involved with the safety of the land and have aims more involving Mah'rya herself. There is an interesting amount of academics looking to explore the ruins where the entity is sealed. They may flaunt local restrictions in favor of joining an ad hoc excursion to discover just what a horror Mah'rya can be. These people can feasibly be a cause of the seal breaking. You can also reflavor them to be unsavory cultists who seek to free and worship Mah'rya.

Stage 1: Path to the Ruin

The ruins where Mah'rya is imprisoned can be found outside the starting town in Santesis. The path to it normally is never tread, leaving a lot of elements to have festered and overgrown in the absence of proper upkeep. In this case, the land is grown with a new forest and various plants that can obscure whatever threats lie nearby, beast and man alike.

Step or Location

The woods to the ruins are tinged with obvious influences of the eldritch leaking out. Mah'rya's influence is commonly associated with winter. While Santesis is a country with cooler weather, it is even more obviously cold in these woods.

Features

Sunlight does not reach past the canopy, and it is almost all dim light. There is a strange stillness in the forest, void of typical animal noises or even wind rustling through the trees. The overgrowth makes it difficult terrain. A character with a sword, axe, or other appropriate weapon, can cut away at the shrubbery. However, the plants here will regrow within the hour, at an unnaturally fast pace.

Inhabitants

No birds or insects live here, nor do any small mammals. The main creatures in these overgrown woods are brown bears, but they have been altered by the energies leaking as the seal weakens over time. These are the biggest danger in these woods.

Inhabitant: Brown Bear

These altered bears use the brown bear stat block as a base. However, they have an increased AC of 14. Visually, these bears also appear more like black than brown. Their fur is much longer and almost droops around their bellies and arms. The dark fur has a bluish sheen to it at certain angles of light, and their eyes are lit like white-blue fires. Their breath is also cold and they are hostile to any other creatures that enter these woods. Also, unlike typical brown bears, these bears can actually be found in groups of up to four at a time, no longer being only solitary hunters.

Developments

Since there are other adventurers other than the party running around for this quest, feel free to use NPC stat blocks like that of a knight or bandit to sub in for rival groups that might want to sabotage our party. The party always has a chance of running into the strange bears that prowl these woods, the same as anyone else. While the main thing is just to get through the forest, the confusion you can cause by maybe having the party rescue a fellow adventurer from a bear or even introducing the beginning of a conspiracy to weaken the seal will help add to the overall adventure's mood. Below are a few scenarios of how to progress through this wood.

Scenario 1 (Straightforward): The adventurers stumble upon three separate encounters with two bears each. Upon defeating the last encounter, they find the exit to the wood and discover the ruin.

Scenario 2 (Rivals): Another band of adventurers ambush the players, or try to. They become the focal battle in this scene. Perhaps the fight even escalates so much that it draws in the bears, then forcing the parties to join forces or be mauled to death.

Scenario 3 (Rescue): The party stumbles upon a bear about to demolish a fellow adventurer that has been abandoned by their party. It turns out that their party went on ahead after running into these bears themselves. The rescued adventurer might show their gratitude by giving some money or even offering to temporarily join the player party if they want.

Scenario 4 (Conspiracy): While the players may be resting between fights, they notice some interestingly marked stones hidden along the overgrowth in the woods. They appear to be markers for someone, perhaps. Some of their equipment then suddenly goes missing, only to be replaced by a note saying "The Song Shall Rise Once More," and then they get attacked by a bear.

The above scenarios are not exclusive and can be combined to make more complex events in the story. Feel free to add your own touches, like splitting the bears into cubs or even adding eldritch-flecked goblins and other creatures into the mix to make the enemies more interesting. See if you can keep the theme within a wintery feel. So reskin an elk to be a reindeer, and so forth. By the end of this scene, the players should find the entrance to the ruin where the seal is hidden within a maze-like dungeon. If you want, you can include an extra puzzle at the beginning to have the players work a little before entering the dungeon. My preferred method is a closed stone door that requires something to open it, be it a line from the song "All I Want for Christmas Is You" or a fragment to a puzzle lock on the door.

Stage 2: The Ruin with the Seal

The ruin's labyrinthine interior

This is the real meat and potatoes of the middle part of this quest. The dungeon's making was supposed to make it difficult for anyone to reach the sealed sanctum to sabotage it. However, after years of neglect and the leaking from the seal, powerful monsters have taken up refuge in these crumbling halls, and even the security measures left by the first adventurers have been partially corrupted, making this a very dangerous place.

Ruin Overview

Players enter from the staircase to the right of room 7. Below, the rooms are all listed in numerical order.

Room 1

This has notable worn textures on its stone walls and two doors. The ceiling and floor are both a dull grey tiling. A slight whistling of wind can be heard passing through, despite the depth in this ruin, and you can see russet stains lining the tiles on the floor.

• North Entry: Wooden Portcullis (lift DC 20, DC 15 to break; 30 hp) → Leads to room 49
• Northwest Entry: Secret wooden door, locked (DC 25 to find, (DC 25 to open, DC 15 to break; 10 hp) → Leads to room 44
• Southwest Entry: Iron Portcullis (DC 20 to lift, DC 25 to break; 60 hp) → Leads to room 48
• Concealed Spike Pit: DC 15 to find, DC 10 to disable; affects all targets entering a 10 ft. square area, DC 16 save or take 2d10 piercing damage. Players can climb out if they fail initial save without taking further damage.

Room 2

The room has a serene feel to it, with a fountain curiously still running despite the chill.

• North Entry Trapped and Locked Iron Door (DC 15 to open, DC 30 to break; 60 hp) → Leads to room 31

Ⓣ Contact Poison: DC 10 to find, DC 10 to disable; affects each creature which touches the trigger, DC 12 Constitution save or take 1d10 poison damage (half on success)

• East Entry Stuck Good Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 15 hp) → Leads to room 3
• South Entry Locked Stone Door (DC 10 to open, DC 25 to break; 60 hp) (slides down) → Leads to room 4
• The fountain in this room resembles a mermaid dribbling water out of her mouth. There is a gem hidden in the back of her throat that magically produces running water. It takes a DC 15 Investigation check to find. Once removed, the gem's power becomes finite and can only produce a gallon of water a day, regaining usage at dawn.

Room 3

This room has clear signs of a struggle, with the door to the north having been splintered from behind, and a series of metal bars (iron), like that of a cage, having been broken. The metal appears to almost have been frosted over and then shattered.

• North entry door was destroyed. Doorway leads to a small, narrow hallway. This hallway has stone that has been eroded and is very dirty. This enclosure is claustrophobic and has a lingering sense of uncleanliness. At the dead end of the hallway, there is a pile of material that is a cross between flesh and vomit.
• West door leads to room 2
• East Entry 1 Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp)
• East Entry 2 Stuck Strong Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 20 hp) (slides up), converges with East Entry 1
• East Entry 3 Unlocked Simple Wooden Door (10 hp) → Leads to room 11
• South Entry Unlocked Simple Wooden Door (10 hp) → Leads to room 45

Room 4

North Entry Locked Stone Door (DC 10 to open, DC 25 to break; 60 hp) (slides down) → Leads to room #2 West Entry Locked Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to open, DC 15 to break; 10 hp) → Leads to room #13 East Entry Trapped and Locked Iron Door (DC 20 to open, DC 30 to break; 60 hp) Ⓣ Earthmaw Trap: DC 15 to find, DC 15 to disable; +7 to hit against one target, 2d10 piercing damage South Entry Iron Portcullis (DC 20 to lift, DC 25 to break; 60 hp) → Leads to room #6, inhabited by Goblin Boss and 1 x Goblin Room Features Several square holes are cut into the north wall, and a stone dais and throne sits in the north-east corner of the room

Room 5

North Entry #1 Stuck Iron Door (DC 25 to break; 60 hp) → Leads to room #57 North Entry #2 Wooden Portcullis (lift DC 20, DC 15 to break; 30 hp) → Leads to room #13 West Entry Trapped and Stuck Strong Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 20 hp) Ⓣ Falling Block: DC 10 to find, DC 10 to disable; affects all targets within a 10 ft. square area, DC 15 save or take 2d10 damage Room Features A faded and torn tapestry hangs from the west wall, and the sound of rushing water fills the room Monster Orc (cr 1/2, mm 246) and 1 x Half-ogre (cr 1, mm 238); deadly, 300 xp Treasure: 1800 cp, 900 sp, 70 gp, banded agate (10 gp), 2 x eye agate (10 gp), lapis lazuli (10 gp), malachite (10 gp), 2 x moss agate (10 gp), rhodochrosite (10 gp), tiger eye (10 gp)

Room 6

North Entry Iron Portcullis (DC 20 to lift, DC 25 to break; 60 hp) → Leads to room #4 East Entry Secret (DC 25 to find) Unlocked Stone Door (60 hp) Ⓢ The door is located near the ceiling and opened by speaking a command word → Leads to room #7 South Entry Stuck Strong Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 20 hp) Room Features Skeletons hang from chains and manacles against the north wall, and rusting iron spikes line the west wall Monster Goblin Boss (cr 1, mm 166) and 1 x Goblin (cr 1/4, mm 166); medium, 250 xp Treasure: 1700 cp, 1500 sp, 50 gp, a brass amulet set with a rosette of coral (25 gp), a brass mask inlaid with electrum (25 gp), a cloth coat trimmed with fur (25 gp), a copper rod etched with thorned vines (25 gp), a leather armor tooled with elven script (25 gp), a leather scabbard trimmed with rabbit fur (25 gp), a scroll of calligraphy (25 gp), a silver bell engraved with draconic runes (25 gp), Potion of Healing (common, dmg 187)

Room 7

Electrified tiles

West Entry Secret (DC 25 to find) Unlocked Stone Door (60 hp) Ⓢ The door is located near the ceiling and opened by speaking a command word → Leads to room #6, inhabited by Goblin Boss and 1 x Goblin East Entry #1 Trapped and Unlocked Strong Wooden Door (20 hp) Ⓣ One-way Door: DC 15 to find, DC 15 to disable → Leads to room #21, inhabited by Gelatinous Cube East Entry #2 Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) South Entry Wooden Portcullis (lift DC 20, DC 15 to break; 30 hp) Trap Electrified Floortile: DC 15 to find, DC 10 to disable; affects all targets within a 10 ft. square area, DC 17 save or take 4d10 lightning damage Hidden Treasure Hidden (DC 15 to find) Locked Simple Wooden Chest (DC 20 to unlock, DC 15 to break; 10 hp) 2600 cp, 1200 sp, 30 gp

Room 8

East Entry Locked Good Wooden Door (DC 25 to open, DC 15 to break; 15 hp) → Leads to room #50, inhabited by Bandit Captain and 1 x Bandit South Entry Unlocked Simple Wooden Door (10 hp) Room Features A magical mural on the east wall can be used to scry upon any known individual within the dungeon, and a circle of tall stones stands in the east side of the room Monster Bugbear (cr 1, mm 33) and 1 x Goblin (cr 1/4, mm 166); medium, 250 xp Treasure: 13 sp; 12 cp

Room 9

North Entry #1 Secret (DC 20 to find) Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) Ⓢ The door is concealed behind a statue of a medusa, and opened by uncovering her eyes → Leads to room #27 North Entry #2 Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) West Entry Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) Room Features A narrow pit covered by iron bars lies in the center of the room, and someone has scrawled "right, right, right" on the west wall Room #10 North Entry Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) → Leads to room #30 Empty Room #11 North Entry Stuck Iron Door (DC 25 to break; 60 hp) → Leads to room #50, inhabited by Bandit Captain and 1 x Bandit West Entry #1 Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) West Entry #2 Trapped and Locked Strong Wooden Door (DC 25 to open, DC 20 to break; 20 hp) Ⓣ Falling Block: DC 10 to find, DC 10 to disable; affects all targets within a 10 ft. square area, DC 12 save or take 2d10 damage East Entry Stuck Good Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 15 hp) → Leads to room #39, inhabited by Orog Empty Room #12 West Entry Unlocked Good Wooden Door (15 hp) → Leads to room #35 Room Features The floor is covered in square tiles, alternating white and black, and someone has scrawled "We've run out of torches" on the north wall Room #13 North Entry #1 Archway North Entry #2 Stuck Good Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 15 hp) West Entry Trapped and Stuck Stone Door (DC 20 to break; 60 hp) Ⓣ Guillotine Blade: DC 10 to find, DC 15 to disable; +11 to hit against one target, 4d10 slashing damage → Leads to room #57 East Entry Locked Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to open, DC 15 to break; 10 hp) → Leads to room #4 South Entry Wooden Portcullis (lift DC 20, DC 15 to break; 30 hp) → Leads to room #5, inhabited by Orc and 1 x Half�ogre Room Features A magical mirror on the east wall answers questions with lies and falsehoods, and someone has scrawled "Atell's Circle killed a white dragon here" on the west wall Room #14 North Entry Archway → Leads to room #58, inhabited by Cult Fanatic and 1 x Cultist South Entry Secret (DC 15 to find) Stuck Strong Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 20 hp) Ⓢ The door is located above a small stone dais and concealed behind a tapestry of ancient mythology → Leads to room #18 Empty Room #15 West Entry Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) → Leads to room #38, inhabited by Ogre Zombie East Entry Unlocked Strong Wooden Door (20 hp) Room Features A narrow pit covered by iron bars lies in the south�east corner of the room, and a pile of spoiled meat lies in the west side of the room Monster Cult Fanatic (cr 2, mm 345) and 1 x Cultist (cr 1/8, mm 345); deadly, 475 xp Treasure: 1300 cp, 1000 sp, 30 gp, 2 x diamond (50 gp), bloodstone (50 gp), chalcedony (50 gp), chrysoprase (50 gp), onyx (50 gp), sardonyx (50 gp), Ring of Jumping (uncommon, dmg 191) Trap Ice Dart Trap: DC 10 to find, DC 10 to disable; +7 to hit against one target, 2d10 cold damage Room #16 South Entry Locked Simple Wooden Door (DC 20 to open, DC 15 to break; 10 hp) (slides to one side) Room Features An enchanted pool in the north-east corner of the room grants beauty to whomever drinks from it (but only once), and someone has scrawled "Run away!" in blood on the south wall Room #17 North Entry Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) West Entry Archway → Leads to room #44 South Entry Trapped and Stuck Stone Door (DC 20 to break; 60 hp) (slides up) Ⓣ Arrow Trap: DC 10 to find, DC 10 to disable; +7 to hit against one target, 2d10 piercing damage → Leads to room #49 Monster Orog (cr 2, mm 247); deadly, 450 xp Treasure: 3200 cp, 1500 sp, 70 gp, 5 x diamond (50 gp), 2 x bloodstone (50 gp), citrine (50 gp), star rose quartz (50 gp), zircon (50 gp) Room #18 North Entry #1 Locked Iron Door (DC 15 to open, DC 30 to break; 60 hp) North Entry #2 Secret (DC 15 to find) Stuck Strong Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 20 hp) Ⓢ The door is located above a small stone dais and concealed behind a tapestry of ancient mythology → Leads to room #14 West Entry Wooden Portcullis (lift DC 20, DC 15 to break; 30 hp) East Entry Trapped and Stuck Good Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 15 hp) Ⓣ Acid Spray: DC 20 to find, DC 15 to disable; affects all targets within a 20 ft. cone, DC 17 save or take 2d10 acid damage for 1d4 rounds → Leads to room #51 South Entry #1 Trapped and Locked Iron Door (DC 15 to open, DC 30 to break; 60 hp) Ⓣ Earthmaw Trap: DC 15 to find, DC 20 to disable; +11 to hit against one target, 4d10 piercing damage → Leads to room #20 South Entry #2 Locked Simple Wooden Door (DC 25 to open, DC 15 to break; 10 hp) Room Features Lit candles are scattered across the floor, and several pieces of blood-soaked clothing are scattered throughout the room Room #19 South Entry Unlocked Good Wooden Door (15 hp) → Leads to room #50, inhabited by Bandit Captain and 1 x Bandit Room Features An altar of evil sits in the east side of the room, and a sour odor fills the room Monster Orc (cr 1/2, mm 246) and 1 x Half-ogre (cr 1, mm 238); deadly, 300 xp Treasure: 8 sp; 8 gp Room #20 North Entry Trapped and Locked Iron Door (DC 15 to open, DC 30 to break; 60 hp) Ⓣ Earthmaw Trap: DC 15 to find, DC 20 to disable; +11 to hit against one target, 4d10 piercing damage → Leads to room #18 West Entry Unlocked Strong Wooden Door (20 hp) Empty

Room 21

ice spiders

North Entry Locked Simple Wooden Door (DC 20 to open, DC 15 to break; 10 hp) (slides down) West Entry Trapped and Unlocked Strong Wooden Door (20 hp) Ⓣ One-way Door: DC 15 to find, DC 15 to disable → Leads to room #7 Monster Gelatinous Cube (cr 2, mm 242); deadly, 450 xp Treasure: 2100 cp, 700 sp, 20 gp, 2 x diamond (50 gp), chalcedony (50 gp), chrysoprase (50 gp), moonstone (50 gp), quartz (50 gp) Room #22 East Entry Secret (DC 15 to find) Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) Ⓢ A bookcase and concealed door pivots smoothly → Leads to room #57 South Entry Wooden Portcullis (lift DC 20, DC 15 to break; 30 hp) Empty Room #23 South Entry Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) → Leads to room #28, inhabited by Ogre Zombie and 1 x Zombie Room Features The room has a high domed ceiling, and a group of demonic faces have been carved into the west wall Monster Bugbear (cr 1, mm 33) and 1 x Goblin (cr 1/4, mm 166); medium, 250 xp Treasure: 8 gp; 23 cp Room #24 East Entry Stuck Strong Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 20 hp) South Entry Secret (DC 15 to find) Trapped and Unlocked Good Wooden Door (15 hp) Ⓢ The door is concealed behind a statue of Death, and opened by placing a coin in his open hand Ⓣ Ice Dart Trap: DC 15 to find, DC 15 to disable; +11 to hit against one target, 4d10 cold damage Room Features A wooden ladder rests against the east wall, and a warped holy symbol lies in the south side of the room Monster Silver Dragon Wyrmling (cr 2, mm 118); deadly, 450 xp Treasure: 1800 cp, 1400 sp, 40 gp, a brass longsword inlaid with a meandros of silver (25 gp), a copper medallion etched with draconic runes (25 gp), a fine leather vest trimmed with rabbit fur (25 gp), a wooden coffer set with quartz and sardonyx (25 gp) Room #25 West Entry #1 Trapped and Unlocked Good Wooden Door (15 hp) (slides to one side) Ⓣ Thunderstone Mine: DC 10 to find, DC 10 to disable; affects all targets within 20 ft., DC 13 save or take 2d10 thunder damage and become deafened for 1d4 rounds West Entry #2 Stuck Good Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 15 hp) → Leads to room #29, inhabited by 2 x Hobgoblin Room Features A group of draconic faces have been carved into the south wall, and the floor is covered with sand Trap Scythe Blade: DC 10 to find, DC 15 to disable; +8 to hit against all targets within a 5 ft. arc, 2d10 slashing damage Hidden Treasure Hidden (DC 15 to find) Locked Good Wooden Chest (DC 15 to unlock, DC 20 to break; 15 hp) 2300 cp, 500 sp, 80 gp, a bone coffer set with a rosette of hematite (25 gp), a bone rod engraved with a labyrinth (25 gp), a stoneware chalice painted with woodland imagery (25 gp), a wooden puzzle box engraved with elven script (25 gp), Keoghtom's Ointment (uncommon, dmg 179), Potion of Animal Friendship (uncommon, dmg 187), Potion of Water Breathing (uncommon, dmg 188) Room #26 South Entry Stuck Good Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 15 hp) Hidden Treasure Locked Iron Chest (DC 20 to unlock, DC 30 to break; 60 hp) 1600 cp, 1400 sp, 80 gp, chalcedony (50 gp), chrysoprase (50 gp), star rose quartz (50 gp), Spell Scroll (False Life) (common, dmg 200), Potion of Climbing (common, dmg 187) Room #27 West Entry Secret (DC 15 to find) Locked Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to open, DC 15 to break; 10 hp) Ⓢ The door is concealed within the mouth of a demonic face carved from stone → Leads to room #29, inhabited by 2 x Hobgoblin East Entry Locked Simple Wooden Door (DC 25 to open, DC 15 to break; 10 hp) South Entry Secret (DC 20 to find) Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) Ⓢ The door is concealed behind a statue of a medusa, and opened by uncovering her eyes → Leads to room #9 Room Features Patches of mushrooms grow in the south-west corner of the room, and a ruined chain shirt lies in the south side of the room Room #28 North Entry #1 Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) → Leads to room #23, inhabited by Bugbear and 1 x Goblin North Entry #2 Unlocked Strong Wooden Door (20 hp) Room Features A chute falls into the room from above, and someone has scrawled "I've forgotten my name" on the east wall Monster Ogre Zombie (cr 2, mm 316) and 1 x Zombie (cr 1/4, mm 316); deadly, 500 xp Treasure: 2200 cp, 600 sp, 30 gp, azurite (10 gp), blue quartz (10 gp), lapis lazuli (10 gp), tiger eye (10 gp), turquoise (10 gp), Quaal's Feather Token (fan) (rare, dmg 188), Potion of Gaseous Form (rare, dmg 187), Potion of Heroism (rare, dmg 188) Room #29 East Entry #1 Stuck Good Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 15 hp) → Leads to room #25 East Entry #2 Locked Good Wooden Door (DC 10 to open, DC 15 to break; 15 hp) East Entry #3 Secret (DC 15 to find) Locked Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to open, DC 15 to break; 10 hp) Ⓢ The door is concealed within the mouth of a demonic face carved from stone → Leads to room #27 Monster 2 x Hobgoblin (cr 1/2, mm 186); hard, 200 xp Treasure: 20 cp; 14 gp

Room 30

Cultist circle to summon Padoru

West Entry Locked Strong Wooden Door (DC 10 to open, DC 20 to break; 20 hp) East Entry Stuck Stone Door (DC 20 to break; 60 hp) South Entry Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) → Leads to room #10 Trap Net Trap: DC 10 to find, DC 10 to disable; affects all targets within a 10 ft. square area, DC 10 save or become restrained Room #31 North Entry Stuck Strong Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 20 hp) (slides to one side) West Entry Wooden Portcullis (lift DC 20, DC 15 to break; 30 hp) East Entry Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) South Entry Secret (DC 20 to find) Trapped and Locked Iron Door (DC 15 to open, DC 30 to break; 60 hp) Ⓢ A bookcase and concealed door pivots smoothly Ⓣ Contact Poison: DC 10 to find, DC 10 to disable; affects each creature which touches the trigger, DC 12 save or take 2d10 damage → Leads to room #2 Room Features Someone has scrawled "Don't sleep" on the south wall, and the floor is covered with sand Room #32 North Entry Unlocked Simple Wooden Door (10 hp) → Leads to room #56, inhabited by Gelatinous Cube East Entry Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) → Leads to room #35 Room Features Numerous pillars line the west wall, and several sundered shields are scattered throughout the room

Room 33

Collapsing ceiling

3 West Entry Stuck Strong Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 20 hp) (slides down) → Leads to room #54 East Entry Trapped and Unlocked Iron Door (60 hp) Ⓣ Arrow Trap: DC 10 to find, DC 15 to disable; +3 to hit against one target, 1d10 piercing damage South Entry Stuck Good Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 15 hp) → Leads to room #58, inhabited by Cult Fanatic and 1 x Cultist Room Features A chute descends from the room into a natural cavern below, and an iron chandelier hangs from the ceiling in the north side of the room Monster Mimic (cr 2, mm 220); deadly, 450 xp Treasure: 12 ep

Room 34

wizard's last resting place

North Entry Trapped Iron Portcullis (DC 20 to lift, DC 25 to break; 60 hp) Ⓣ Falling Block: DC 10 to find, DC 10 to disable; affects all targets within a 10 ft. square area, DC 10 save or take 1d10 damage Empty Room #35 North Entry Secret (DC 20 to find) Unlocked Good Wooden Door (15 hp) Ⓢ The door is located above a small stone dais and concealed within a mosaic of ancient mythology West Entry Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) → Leads to room #32 East Entry #1 Unlocked Simple Wooden Door (10 hp) (slides up) East Entry #2 Unlocked Good Wooden Door (15 hp) → Leads to room #12 South Entry Secret (DC 25 to find) Unlocked Simple Wooden Door (10 hp) Ⓢ A bookcase and concealed door pivots smoothly Room Features A magical pool in the north-east corner of the room ages whomever drinks from it (but only once), and a hole has been blasted into the east wall Room #36 West Entry Unlocked Good Wooden Door (15 hp) South Entry Locked Iron Door (DC 15 to open, DC 30 to break; 60 hp) Monster Ogre Zombie (cr 2, mm 316); deadly, 450 xp Treasure: 2900 cp, 1400 sp, 90 gp, azurite (10 gp), 2 x tiger eye (10 gp) Room #37 North Entry Secret (DC 25 to find) Unlocked Simple Wooden Door (10 hp) Ⓢ The door is concealed behind a statue of a fearsome dragon, and opened by reaching into its mouth → Leads to room #51 Room Features A tapestry of legendary monsters hangs from the north wall, and skeletons hang from chains and manacles against the east wall Monster Bugbear (cr 1, mm 33); medium, 200 xp Treasure: 12 sp Room #38 North Entry #1 Unlocked Strong Wooden Door (20 hp) North Entry #2 Secret (DC 25 to find) Locked Stone Door (DC 10 to open, DC 25 to break; 60 hp) Ⓢ The door is located near the ceiling and designed to make noise when opened East Entry Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) → Leads to room #15, inhabited by Cult Fanatic and 1 x Cultist South Entry #1 Wooden Portcullis (lift DC 20, DC 15 to break; 30 hp) South Entry #2 Secret (DC 20 to find) Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) Ⓢ The door is concealed within the mouth of a gargantuan skull carved from stone Room Features A magical pool in the center of the room grants beauty to whomever drinks from it (but only once), and a stone dais and throne sits in the south side of the room Monster Ogre Zombie (cr 2, mm 316); deadly, 450 xp Treasure: 4 pp Room #39 North Entry Locked Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to open, DC 15 to break; 10 hp) → Leads to room #53, inhabited by Gelatinous Cube West Entry Stuck Good Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 15 hp) → Leads to room #11 Room Features Spirals of red stones cover the floor, and various torture devices are scattered throughout the room Monster Orog (cr 2, mm 247); deadly, 450 xp Treasure: 2900 cp, 700 sp, 60 gp, a brass orb inlaid with a filigree of silver (25 gp), an ivory medallion engraved with draconic scales (25 gp), Periapt of Wound Closure (uncommon, dmg 184) Room #40 East Entry Locked Strong Wooden Door (DC 20 to open, DC 20 to break; 20 hp) South Entry Stuck Stone Door (DC 20 to break; 60 hp) Room Features Several iron cages are scattered throughout the room, and the ceiling is covered with scorch marks Room #41 South Entry Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) → Leads to room #53, inhabited by Gelatinous Cube Room Features A chute descends from the room into a midden chamber below, and the floor is covered in square tiles, alternating white and black Monster Bandit Captain (cr 2, mm 344) and 1 x Bandit (cr 1/8, mm 343); deadly, 475 xp Treasure: 9 gp; 16 sp Room #42 West Entry Stuck Strong Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 20 hp) Room Features A narrow pit covered by iron bars lies in the north�east corner of the room, and a dagger hilt lies in the north-east corner of the room Monster Silver Dragon Wyrmling (cr 2, mm 118); deadly, 450 xp Treasure: 19 sp Room #43 East Entry Archway Empty Room #44 East Entry Archway → Leads to room #17, inhabited by Orog South Entry Stuck Iron Door (DC 25 to break; 60 hp) (slides to one side) Empty Room #45 North Entry Unlocked Simple Wooden Door (10 hp) → Leads to room #3 West Entry Secret (DC 25 to find) Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) Ⓢ The door is located near the ceiling and concealed by an illusion Empty Room #46 North Entry Unlocked Simple Wooden Door (10 hp) West Entry Stuck Strong Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 20 hp) (slides up) → Leads to room #58, inhabited by Cult Fanatic and 1 x Cultist Monster Bandit Captain (cr 2, mm 344) and 1 x Bandit (cr 1/8, mm 343); deadly, 475 xp Treasure: 13 ep; 17 sp Room #47 North Entry Unlocked Good Wooden Door (15 hp) South Entry Archway Room Features Someone has scrawled "right, right, left, left" on the north wall, and a sundered shield lies in the north side of the room Room #48 East Entry Iron Portcullis (DC 20 to lift, DC 25 to break; 60 hp) → Leads to room #1 South Entry Trapped and Locked Good Wooden Door (DC 20 to open, DC 15 to break; 15 hp) Ⓣ Arrow Trap: DC 10 to find, DC 10 to disable; +4 to hit against one target, 1d10 piercing damage Room Features A tile mosaic of ancient mythology covers the floor, and someone has scrawled a strange symbol on the east wall Room #49 North Entry Trapped and Stuck Stone Door (DC 20 to break; 60 hp) (slides up) Ⓣ Arrow Trap: DC 10 to find, DC 10 to disable; +7 to hit against one target, 2d10 piercing damage → Leads to room #17, inhabited by Orog East Entry Unlocked Simple Wooden Door (10 hp) South Entry Wooden Portcullis (lift DC 20, DC 15 to break; 30 hp) → Leads to room #1 Room Features A sloped pit lined with iron spikes lies in the north side of the room, and someone has scrawled "This paladin is dead" on the north wall Room #50 North Entry Unlocked Good Wooden Door (15 hp) → Leads to room #19, inhabited by Orc and 1 x Half-ogre West Entry #1 Locked Good Wooden Door (DC 25 to open, DC 15 to break; 15 hp) → Leads to room #8, inhabited by Bugbear and 1 x Goblin West Entry #2 Wooden Portcullis (lift DC 20, DC 15 to break; 30 hp) East Entry Wooden Portcullis (lift DC 20, DC 15 to break; 30 hp) South Entry Stuck Iron Door (DC 25 to break; 60 hp) → Leads to room #11 Monster Bandit Captain (cr 2, mm 344) and 1 x Bandit (cr 1/8, mm 343); deadly, 475 xp Treasure: 4 pp; 13 sp Room #51 West Entry Trapped and Stuck Good Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 15 hp) Ⓣ Acid Spray: DC 20 to find, DC 15 to disable; affects all targets within a 20 ft. cone, DC 17 save or take 2d10 acid damage for 1d4 rounds → Leads to room #18 South Entry Secret (DC 25 to find) Unlocked Simple Wooden Door (10 hp) Ⓢ The door is concealed behind a statue of a fearsome dragon, and opened by reaching into its mouth → Leads to room #37, inhabited by Bugbear Room Features A stone dais sits in the south-east corner of the room, and someone has scrawled "Stay right" in orcish runes on the west wall Room #52 West Entry Archway South Entry Trapped and Stuck Strong Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 20 hp) Ⓣ Falling Block: DC 10 to find, DC 10 to disable; affects all targets within a 10 ft. square area, DC 14 save or take 2d10 damage Empty Room #53 North Entry Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) → Leads to room #41, inhabited by Bandit Captain and 1 x Bandit East Entry Stuck Good Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 15 hp) South Entry Locked Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to open, DC 15 to break; 10 hp) → Leads to room #39, inhabited by Orog Room Features Various torture devices are scattered throughout the room, and someone has scrawled "Death comes on silent wings" in draconic script on the north wall Monster Gelatinous Cube (cr 2, mm 242); deadly, 450 xp Treasure: 2100 cp, 1200 sp, 80 gp

Room 54

Goblin toilet

North Entry Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) East Entry Stuck Strong Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 20 hp) (slides down) → Leads to room #33, inhabited by Mimic Room Features Someone has scrawled "right, straight, door" on the west wall, and an overwhelming stench fills the room

Room 55

Dry fountain and basin

West Entry Wooden Portcullis (lift DC 20, DC 15 to break; 30 hp) East Entry Locked Simple Wooden Door (DC 15 to open, DC 15 to break; 10 hp) Empty Room #56 East Entry Stuck Good Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 15 hp) South Entry #1 Trapped Wooden Portcullis (lift DC 20, DC 15 to break; 30 hp) (magically reinforced, disadvantage to break) Ⓣ One-way Door: DC 10 to find, DC 10 to disable South Entry #2 Unlocked Simple Wooden Door (10 hp) → Leads to room #32 Room Features A rope ascends to a catwalk hanging between the east and west walls, and a corpse lies in front of an open chest in the north-west corner of the room Monster Gelatinous Cube (cr 2, mm 242); deadly, 450 xp Treasure: 2500 cp, 800 sp, 70 gp, 3 x diamond (50 gp), carnelian (50 gp), onyx (50 gp), sardonyx (50 gp), star rose quartz (50 gp) Room #57 North Entry Archway West Entry Secret (DC 15 to find) Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) Ⓢ A bookcase and concealed door pivots smoothly → Leads to room #22 East Entry Trapped and Stuck Stone Door (DC 20 to break; 60 hp) Ⓣ Guillotine Blade: DC 10 to find, DC 15 to disable; +11 to hit against one target, 4d10 slashing damage → Leads to room #13 South Entry Stuck Iron Door (DC 25 to break; 60 hp) → Leads to room #5, inhabited by Orc and 1 x Half�ogre Room Features Burning torches in iron sconces line the north and east walls, and a ruined chain shirt lies in the north�west corner of the room Room #58 North Entry Stuck Good Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 15 hp) → Leads to room #33, inhabited by Mimic West Entry Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) East Entry Stuck Strong Wooden Door (DC 15 to break; 20 hp) (slides up) → Leads to room #46, inhabited by Bandit Captain and 1 x Bandit South Entry #1 Archway → Leads to room #14 South Entry #2 Secret (DC 15 to find) Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) Ⓢ The door is concealed behind a statue of a demonic sorceress, and opened by moving her hand Room Features Someone has scrawled "It's a trap" on the north wall, and a buzzing noise can be faintly heard near the north wall Monster Cult Fanatic (cr 2, mm 345) and 1 x Cultist (cr 1/8, mm 345); deadly, 475 xp Treasure: 3000 cp, 1100 sp, 80 gp, 3 x diamond (50 gp), 2 x chalcedony (50 gp), 2 x onyx (50 gp), 2 x star rose quartz (50 gp) Room #59 West Entry Stuck Simple Wooden Door (DC 10 to break; 10 hp) Monster Ogre Zombie (cr 2, mm 316) and 1 x Zombie (cr 1/4, mm 316); deadly, 500 xp Treasure: 2400 cp, 1700 sp, 50 gp, azurite (10 gp), blue quartz (10 gp), 3 x hematite (10 gp), 2 x lapis lazuli (10 gp), malachite (10 gp), tiger eye (10 gp), Oil of Slipperiness (uncommon, dmg 184), Potion of Growth (uncommon, dmg 187)

Inhabitants and Encounters

Various enemies infest these ruins, both organic and not. In addition to the other adventurers also prowling this ruin, you have Mah'rya Caerie cultists from her so-called "fan club," as well as constructs originally created to protect this place that have now become belligerent attacking machines. All this on top of whatever sinister things have made their nest here. The list is here below, along with their stat block links. For the most part, they are generic dungeon crawler staples. Some of them are intuitively creatures that would avoid the cold. However, in this case, they have been altered by the energy of the leaking seal, lending them all cold resistance. The more detailed entries will be detailed in the following subsections.

• Mah'rya Caerie fan ("cultist")
• Other Adventurers
• Stone Defender
• giant constrictor snake
• wolf
• mimic
• gelatinous cube
• ice mephit
• swarm of ravens
• elk
• zombie
• bandit
• giant spider

Mah'rya Caerie Fan/Cultist

<- Describe them. If they're supposed to fight, give them a stat block, link to a creature entry, or give a page reference to the MM. ->

Stage 3: The Seal Chamber

Mah'rya Caerie

<- A stage is a chapter, or an important phase of the story. In a dungeon crawl, a stage would be one floor of the dungeon. In a more episodic, story-like adventure, a stage would be a series of connected scenes. ->

Step or Location

<- This is one scene in an adventure. In dungeon crawls, each room is a scene. ->

Features

<- List everything which has actual mechanical importance, like traps, lighting, climb DCs for walls, hidden stuff, etc. ->

Inhabitants

<- If the step is also a location, list the things that live there ->

Inhabitant

<- Describe them. If they're supposed to fight, give them a stat block, link to a creature entry, or give a page reference to the MM. ->

Developments

<- List how the scene can change over time due to character actions. ->

Treasure

<- List any treasure the players might acquire, and how they would acquire it. ->

Conclusion

<- What happens when the adventure is completed? ->

Rewards

This is a transcript of everything to be awarded the players, and the conditions attached to those rewards, at the end of the adventure. Think of it as a sort of checklist to make sure everything was covered.

Experience

Combat Awards

Name of Foe	XP per foe
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->

Non-Combat Awards

Task or Accomplishment	XP per Character
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->

The minimum total award for each character participating in this adventure is X experience points.

The maximum total award for each character participating in this adventure is X experience points.

Treasure

The characters receive the following treasure, divided up amongst the party. Characters should attempt to divide treasure evenly whenever possible. Gold piece values listed for sellable gear are calculated at their selling price, not their purchase price.

Consumable magic items should be divided up however the group sees fit. If more than one character is interested in a specific consumable magic item, the DM can determine who gets it randomly should the group be unable to decide.

Permanent magic items are divided up according to a system. See the sidebar if the adventure awards permanent magic items.

Treasure Awards

Item Name	Sale Value
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->

[[<- Unique Magic Item ->]]

<- If the magic item exists only on this page, remove the header brackets, otherwise make the title a link to the page containing the item. <- Duplicate this section as many times as needed. ->

Enmity

<- This is an actual effect generated by you doing something that hurt people who still exist in the setting. Think of it is a boon, but absolutely horrible. ->

Renown

<- In games which contain factions, this is where you would award renown for completing faction-related activities. ->

Downtime

Each character receives <-X-> downtime days at the conclusion of this adventure.

4.00

(one vote)

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