Drudlein (3.5e Quest)

Usurp The Unholy

Intended for four level 1-3 adventurers.

The island Continent of Drudlein is home to a myriad of races, but the adventure starts in Calad with missing children and a mysterious necromancer.

• Prep Time 2-5 hours
• Play Time 5-8 hours

Quest Introduction

For starters, when I first started out in D&D, I started with 3.5e, and I was automatically named the DM for the group of us that wanted to play. This first quest was the result of a few hours of thought process and intuition. I kinda started the campaign on the fly, but after our first session, I decided that I really liked being a DM, and I created a quest based on the first experience I had. This is a bare-essentials quest, and leaves a lot of room for you to add or remove at your leisure. Our second session saw this quest's players small-dodging my idiot-proof plans and leaving me to create a story on the fly. Some were hysterically entertaining, and others were ghastly alignment changing. All perks of being a new DM, I suppose. So, without further ado, here is the first quest in the Drudlein campaign, titled "Usurp the Unholy". This quest goes hand in hand with the Drudlein world map (link below, just copy and paste), but feel free to tweak or use it as you see fit to best suit whichever world you choose to inhabit.

http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/File:Drudlein_(World_Map).jpg

History

The continent of Drudlein is dealing with the dark magic of a mysterious occult, and the port city of Calad is dealing with missing children.

Hook

The party begins as adventurers that were, for one reason or another, taken as slaves by orcs. Their only remaining option is escape.

Background

The party escapes a slave galley, helps a local village find missing children. They discover the city of thieves, and they destroy an evil necromancer to save the city of Calad.

NPCs

King Mallus (necromancer)
General Helwarth (fighter)
Bellok, Champion of Calad (fighter)
Sarah, Captain of the Guard (fighter)
Guild Father Mas (cleric)
Villagers (mob)
Nobles (mob)

Items

No crazy quest items. Just a silly key and some cool loot gear that the party can collect from dead enemies.

Stage One: The Arrival

Each player is bound by shackles to one other player on an Orc slave galley (for best results, pair unlikely couples: Elves with Dwarves, criminals with clerics, etc.). The vessel is presently anchored at sea before arriving at her destination: the port city of Calad. Have the players introduce themselves, and after a few minutes of banter, introduce one of the following scenarios based on your DM roll.

01-33: NPC slaves decide to fight for freedom.

34-66: Massive storm overtakes the vessel.

67-00: Players are purchased by a single bidder, Sarah, the Captain of the Guard in Calad, for the upcoming quest.

(Roll d% before starting so you can steer the story in the right direction.)

Follow any of these outcomes how you see fit. No matter what, though, the party must make their way to Calad. If the slaves fight the Orc slavers, they won't want to sail into port. If a storm hits the ship, have the party get washed ashore somewhere in an outlying settlement. The ship has 10+3d10 Orcs, but if the slaves revolt, the party won't have to fight that many. Roll a d20 prior to start, and that can be the number of Orc combatants they face, maxing out at the number of Orcs on the ship, if it happens to be less than 20 (if you so desire). Remember: the party is bare, save for the wrinkled and dirty shirts on their backs, the tattered pants they wear, and the shackles holding them to each other (feet or wrist shackles, or a combination thereof to make interesting combat tactics).

Orc slaver stats:

HD: 1d10

Broadsword: 1d6 (19-20/x2 crit)

Battleaxe: 1d8 (x3 critical)

Studded leather armor

AC 10

Speed: 20 feet

If the storm hits the ship, the ship is wrecked and destroyed, and the players need to make all creations of saves for a few rounds to make it safely to shore. Odds are, someone's gonna get a dislocated something, and someone else may even lose a limb, but that may be too extreme. Have the players wash up on shore and be greeted by guards that come by trying to help them, and have them lose consciousness and when they wake up, they are in the palace dungeon, but the doors are open, and they are greeted by Sarah, who recruits them and offers them their freedom in exchange for a favor. If they are bought in the city, have several potential buyers arrive to view the stock. Keep it anonymous, but allow the PC's interaction with the NPC buyers. The interaction can be as limited or as expansive as you like. Eventually the captain of the guard, Sarah, will come around to purchase the PC's, and they will be led to starting the quest. No matter which introduction, eventually they make their way to Sarah, who tells them about the missing children.

Experience:

Part 1: 50 XP for every battle

25 bonus XP to individual players for individual kills

25 bonus XP to individual players for executions

150 XP for completing the quest

Stage Two: The Lost Children and The Palace Dungeon

Sarah tells the party about the outlying settlements having problems with their children going missing. She instructs the party to outfit however they can in the barracks armory, and she provides rooms for them for the evening. Before the party heads out in the morning, allow them a chance to talk one more time with Sarah, if desired. Here, the party has a chance to convince her to pay up to half of the bounty total (50gp) for other supplies needed. DC 15 If the save is 1-2, Sarah becomes impatient and irate, lowering the total reward to 50gp (any further attempts auto-fail, regardless of roll). 3-9, simple fail; 10-13 awards 25gp, and 15+ awards the full 50gp.

When the Party departs, they leave Calad bound for a small farming village to the east, about 3 miles away. This small hamlet is quiet and all the inhabitants are wary of newcomers. Any conversation should be met with passive aggressive responses, and any conversation DCs should have a +3-5 modifier for the town's increased vigilance. After convincing the villagers to talk (however they can), or by investigating the local environment, the party learns that there are child-sized footprints leading away from the village, and they are paired with adult-sized boot-prints.

When investigating, a DC 10 Investigation check is required to spot the prints while walking around looking for clues.

When the party sees the prints, they can ask about them, and they will discover that the prints are from the latest victim and are no more than a few days old. The prints lead northwest, out of town. Following the tracks can prove fruitless, but a keen tracker can follow the prints for the duration of the travel time. The total travel time between where the prints were found and the destination in the northwest is roughly 2 days at minimum. The prints eventually become horse tracks, and then carriage tracks. A DC 10 Perception check will allow the party to catch these subtle changes, but if you put the tracks on a main road, a DC 15 will be required to differentiate the tracks from older and newer tracks of regular traffic.

During travel, roll d% once per day.

01-33: accosted by 1d4 bandits during the day.

34-66: raided by 1d4 bandits at night.

67-00: smooth travels.

The party will travel northwest, and eventually come to a large pond, which has a large river flowing into it from a waterfall in the north side, and to the southwest of the pond, another large mouth allows the water to flow out and eventually to the sea. The river is 20 feet wide at the mouth, and 12 feet deep. The pond itself slopes fast (within 5 feet) to its depth of 40 feet. The tracks seem to disappear at the shore of the pond, but on the other side, there is a visible entrance to a grotto. The pond is inhabited by 1d4 (no less than 2) Sea Cats, and they should be avoided at all costs.

Sea Cat stats:

Large, amphibious, water creature

5d10 HP

Claws: 2d6 (x2 crit)

Teeth: 1d10 (x2 crit)

Tail: 1d8 (x2 crit)

AC 18

Speed: 10 feet (land); 40 feet (swim).

It goes without saying, but should the party decide to fight the sea cats, give them incentive to stray from the battle and enter the grotto on the northern shore of the pond. The entrance to the grotto is nestled in the face of one of the Ulfthart mountains, and when inside, they notice a five foot wide passage that travels up like a circular staircase. This passage is lit by two torches, and winds up for forty feet. Its walls are made of rock, as it is part of a cave. There is no light in the passage, save for torches and Darkvision. At the top, there is a small antechamber about 15x15 feet, and it has a small, one person desk against a wall. Inside the desk, the party can find a journal, and on a DC 15 Investigation check, they can find a hidden compartment with a small coin purse filled with 1d20 gold and a key that will unlock the cages in the next area. The journal is a simple, leather-bound and unmarked, with only one entry, dated two days ago. The other pages seem to have been torn out.

"I don't remember the last time I was thinking clearly. I have been a prisoner of my own head of late. Someone or something has been controlling my body, but my mind remains intact. I scream, but no sound is heard. Instead, a voice that is not mine, although it sounds like mine, and comes from my mouth, but isn't mine, takes hold and gives commands to robe-laden people I have never seen before. My arms move against my will, and in these precious moments where I am free, I choose to write, but then the prison takes hold, and whoever I become destroys the entries I make. Yet they keep the journal around. Is this just a game to whoever it is? Am I someone to be played, like a harp from hell? The poor children. They trust my face, but they don't know it isn't me. Please, if you're reading this, end my existence. I can't live with what my body has done, whether it was me controlling myself or not, the images keep me awake. Even when I am free to be myself. Their little hands holding mine as we walk. The looks of fear on their faces as they are placed on the wagon with the other children from the other settlements. I follow them, reassuring them, until we arrive here. Then it changes from reassurance to cold, unfeeling indifference. I can't bear to witness another child writhe in agony when their heart is torn from their chest. I can't bear to see another poor soul lose her appendages, if only to appease the necromancer in the cave. Please kill me. And when you do, kill the bastard that is killing these poor children. And save the few that haven't died, please. Before another one suffers at my hands.

-S.”

There is a door on the north wall of the antechamber, and through this door is the first cavern. In this cavern, there are 2+1d4 rogues equipped with bows and short swords, a lever for a secret cave entrance, and there are several cages that have been built into the cave walls. Inside these cages are small humanoid remains. The cave itself is approximately 50 feet east to west, and 30 feet north to south (both measurements are at the most distant points. Feel free to tweak the overall layout). On the southern wall, there is a small outcropping that acts as natural steps leading up to a potential lookout point, about 20 feet high, and just above the doorway to the antechamber. On this lookout point, there is a lever for the secret entrance that opens on the west wall, and one of the rogues. Inside the secret entrance is a set of stairs that lead down. On the eastern wall, there are five of the wall cages that are 5 feet wide by five feet long. These are built into the cave wall, so they won't protrude into the battlespace. In the cages, there are small, humanoid remains. On a DC 12 Investigation, they are determined to be the bones of human children. Some of them appear to have small bite marks, and it can be assumed that the dead children were fed to living ones (whether the kids knew this or not is unknown still). Beside one set of remains is a small, red, silken ribbon. This can be used later. After the party gets over the shock of the grisly discovery, they move on to the lever, and the secret entrance. In the second cavern, there is a small outcropping leading down into the main battle space for this cavern. This cavern has a large opening in the northeastern ceiling that illuminates the entire area, so torches are not necessary. This cavern is 65 feet from north to south, and 80 feet from east to west. The north wall of the cavern is host to a rushing river that runs the length of the cavern from east to west. To the southeast, there is a small room that holds loot. In this cavern is an unknown necromancer, and the guard captain, Sarah. She is holding a child near to her, with her blade at his throat. Once the party is discovered, the necromancer immediately vanishes in smoke, and Sarah, her eyes white as snow, speaks to the party in a distorted voice:

"You may succeed here today, but you can not stop me. I am undying, and it is too late."

If any in the party are within 10 feet of Sarah, have them roll to save the child. Anyone who succeeds a DC 15 Acrobatics check can leap the ten feet to tackle Sarah and free the child. The player who succeeds must also roll a DC 12 Sleight of Hand check to move the sword from the child's throat in time. If any of the throws fail, the child dies. Either way, Sarah snaps out of her discord, and starts to unravel in front of the party. She begs them to kill her with tears in her eyes. If the child was saved, it can be used with a DC 13 Persuasion check to convince her to "come off the ledge", and prevent her from attacking the party. If the Persuasion check succeeds, she begs the party to kill the necromancer, and to see the child home to safety, then she draws a hidden dagger and commits suicide. If the child dies, it will require a Persuasion check of 18 to calm her down, but she still commits suicide. If the check fails, she becomes irate and irrational, blaming the party for failing to intervene in time, and she attacks. Everyone rolls a DC 12 Passive Wisdom check, and anyone who fails is caught off guard ("I never saw it coming to a fight."). Anyone who passes is able to defend themselves with a DC 10 Dexterity save.

� Sarah is a six foot tall woman, on the larger end of a medium character. She wears ornate scale mail, no doubt given to her for her status as Captain of the Guard. The armor is platinum trimmed with gold. The katanas she wields are stained with fresh blood, and have dragonbone handles with pommels carved into the heads of wolves.

Sarah's stats:

HD: 1d8+10

Katana of Bloodletting: 1d8 (19-20/x2 crit)

Platinum Scale Mail armor +1 (indestructible)

AC 16

Speed: 35 feet

One Katana ATK roll: +2

Two Katana ATK roll: +2/+1

• Special* Any successful attack with her Katanas requires a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, and a fail leaves a player bleeding for 1 HP per round for 1d4 rounds. This can be cured.

When she dies, she can be looted for her gear. But she has conditional loot stats for her swords and a special ring.

Roll d%

01-33: Katanas of Bloodletting

34-66: Broken Katanas of Bloodletting

67-00: Ring of (Strength/Dex/Wis/Int) +1.

The easiest way to choose the bonus Ability modifier is based off of who rolls the successful search. Otherwise, roll d% for:

01-25

26-50

51-75

76-00

The Katanas follow the Longsword damage stats, plus 1 HP bleed damage per successful hit if enemy fails DC 15 saving throw.

For now, allow the party time to recover. If the child was saved, use this time to treat any wounds the child may have. The child will be frightened of all the characters unless a character can roll a DC 14 Persuasion check. A DC 10 Perception check will allow the players to see that the child is frightened and shaking, and a DC 12 Insight check will allow a player to realize that the child needs to be persuaded and helped to relax and learn to trust. Whoever gains the trust of the child, however, will be the only person that can talk to the child and tell the child what he/she needs to do during travel or possible combat. The child will cling to the player as if the player were his/her parent, until the child arrives safely home in the settlement that was losing children. When the party arrives back at the small settlement, the villagers gather around the party, and one man, presumably their leader, starts to ask questions. This scenario has a few different approaches, based on saving throws. Before you begin, however, roll d% for intervention by the royal guards. �

01-33: immediate

34-66: Just in time

67-00: Too late

If the child was saved, add +5 to all DC Saves. If the child was not saved, no additional modifiers will be added. First, the man in front of the mob asks about the children. The party can either lie, or be honest. A lie will have to pass a DC 10 (+1 per additional lie told) Deception check. No matter the choice, a DC 10 (+1 per check) Persuasion check must be made against the villagers to keep them calm. If the party fails to keep the villagers calm more than a predetermined 1d4 attempts, then the villagers immediately start to riot. Every truth told will result in a d% roll.

01-33: reply in despair

34-66: reply in anger

67-99: no reply

100: Instant riot

If the villagers discover that Sarah had a hand in the event, a DC 15 Persuasion check must be rolled to keep the villagers calm. If the party was unable to save the child, and the villagers discover this first, roll a DC 15 Persuasion check to keep them calm. If they find out after they find out about Sarah, the DC is now 18. If you rolled an immediate intervention by the guards, then the party is escorted back to the castle as soon as they arrive in the village. If you rolled a "just in time", then the guards show up just as the villagers riot, if it comes to that. If you rolled a "too late", then the guards don't show up until after the party decides how it wants to handle the villagers if a riot breaks out. You should keep in mind that these are, by all accounts, innocent civilians. Today just happened to be a bad day for them. Any player that harms or kills a civilian should probably be considered for an alignment shift if the player doesn't hold back or outright kills a villager. If the player defends him/herself within reasonable means, then an alignment shift is not necessary.

However the villagers play out, the royal guard takes the party to the Calad, and Caladian General Helwarth greets the party at the city gates. They are, without question, arrested, stripped of their equipment, and then tossed in the palace dungeons. If the players resist arrest, have them face high level guards, or at least have the guards have ridiculous HP, and have the guards simply KO the party, who will then wake up in separate cells in the dungeon.

Each cell is 5x5 feet, and 7 feet tall, lined next to each other, with a 15 foot pathway separating the two rows of cells. There are two guards, one at a desk at one end of the passage, and another that is roving between cells. Escape is the obvious choice, but essentially, if they choose to wait, allow up to 24 hours to pass before General Helwarth comes down to interrogate each player separately. Allow this to be a small break for your players, and take each one separately to a different room and finish the interrogation in there. Somehow, Helwarth knows about Sarah, so use your imagination and let the interrogation be fun and even allow for each character to let their role-playing abilities shine. Depending on the party, they eventually get set free if interrogated; otherwise, they need to find a way to escape the dungeons, but in doing so, they will become wanted criminals until they can find a way to clear their names. If they are set free, then they are given their gear, and are exiled from the city. On their way out, they are confronted by a mysterious man in a robe, and he tells them to find the sewer entrance on the southern wall. Here, they can begin the next part of the quest. If the party decides to break out, then they make their way through the lower levels of the palace dungeon, and find their way to the sewers (that path is entirely up to you, and isn't dependent upon any particular roles or precepts).

Through the sewers, they trudge through difficult terrain: waist-high waters that cut movement speed by half. There is also no light, save for whatever torch or a lantern they bring with them.

Follow the sewers, and at some point, have the party roll a Passive Wisdom check. A DC 15 is required to spot a slight marking on the sewer wall. It resembles a dagger, and is tiny and barely recognizable. Whoever spots it now has a +2 Perception check for the markings as they travel through the sewers following the markings. The party will end up at a mysterious doorway that can only be opened using a riddle. The riddle answer correspond to tiles on the walls. The first tile is a chicken. The second is an egg. The third tile is a rooster. The riddle is: “Who came first: the chicken or the egg?” The answer is the rooster (a bad pun, but you’ll see why). Don’t tell the party any hints right away. It’ll be interesting to see who gets this simple riddle. If the seem to be struggling, help them out. If they answer wrong, then a trap arrow will come out of the wall behind them. A DC 15 Dexterity save can dodge the trap, but if the dodge fails, the player directly across from the riddle takes 1d6 damage. A DC 12 Perception check from any player looking for traps will have them find a small crack in the wall above the chicken and the egg tiles, leading all the way from the tiles, to the ceiling, and back across to the other wall, where a hole lies for the arrow to launch.

Experience:

Part 2: 50 XP for every battle

25 bonus XP to individual players for individual kills

25 bonus XP to individual players for executions

150 XP for the confrontation with Sarah

100 bonus XP for Sarah’s suicide

75 XP for defeating Sarah

50 XP for the villager’s riot

100 bonus XP for resolving the villager’s situation without a riot

100 bonus XP for resolving the villager’s situation without bloodshed

150 XP for completing the quest

Stage Three: The City of Thieves

After the party passes the riddle, a secret door opens to reveal another dark passage, 5 feet wide and 8 feet high. This passage continues on for a total of 100 feet, and at the end, there is a large symbol on a reinforced wooden door: A rooster resting on the pommel of a dagger. The door is not locked, and upon entry, the party arrives at the City of Thieves, where the Rooster Thieve’s Guild is based. The city itself is leery of the new arrivals, but isn’t hostile unless the party makes it so. In the city, there is an apothecary who specializes in illusion potions. There is also a blacksmith, a bookstore, and a general goods store. The local pub, The Stiff Cock, is where the party can go to find respite for a few coins.

Once the party enters the Cock, they are informed by the same robed and hooded figure that they are to rest, and make their way to the Temple of Shadow, located at the heart of the city. Inside the temple, they are greeted by a human female dressed in a black robe. She greets the party as they enter the temple. She tells them that she is Jennifer, an acolyte of the temple, and she has been instructed to allow the party an audience with the Guild Father, Mas Valud. Father Mas has a monologue for the party, and however you choose to lead in to it is up to you.

SPIDER SIDE QUEST: Kill spiders to gain Mas Valud's trust. Reward: 500XP

The Heroes return to the Thieves Guild to speak to Mas Valud.

The two guards, an elf and a human, are unsurprised to see the Party. The elf gives the Party an appraising glance, while the human wordlessly opens the door to Mas's chamber. The door opens to reveal an antechamber: the floor is covered by an ornate rug, and in the center is a small, stone pedestal. On top lays a statue of a hooded figure in prayer, carved out of ebony. Four torches provide light, two on each of the side walls. The air smells of incense and herbs. There is a single short hallway across from the main door; a larger room can be seen past the statue.

A deep, clear voice rings out, "Come in, strangers. There is much to discuss." The Party goes down the hallway and enters the large room. Inside, at a large, round table, sits Mas Valud.

THE ROOM: The furnishings are plain, but high-quality: a large, comfortable-looking bed with fluffy pillows; several bookcases line the far wall, each stacked neatly with leatherbound books and stacks of parchment; a wardrobe stands opposite the bed, with a large chest at the foot of the bed. The room is lit by numerous well-placed candles. It's clear Mas has style, but is also practical: it's safe to assume all the truly valuable items are hidden away.

MAS VALUD: human, mid 40s, black hair, thick beard streaked with grey, piercing grey eyes. Thin, but wiry, about 6' tall, 175lbs. Well-made clothes that are simple, but durable: dark leather boots that end just below the knee, pale blue breeches, a leather belt with a thick, silver clasp, a dark brown jerkin over a white shirt. Black leather gloves on his hands, creased and worn, but well-maintained. A long dagger on his left hip, (PERCEPTION) throwing knives in each boot.

“You have my thanks for clearing the sewers of those spiders. Now, what brings a Party such as yours to meet with an old man such as me?"

DIALOG: Mas knows more than he lets on, but will humor the Party. As guildmaster of the Rooster Thieves, he is both well-informed and highly-intelligent, and able to deduce certain events.

-Kids: "Children? How dreadful." Mas is truly concerned; he has a soft spot for kids. -Sarah: "I am aware of the former Captain of the Guard's.....condition. A shame, for she was truly a unique and valuable woman. I know several of my Roosters will miss being incarcerated by her." Mas has had visions of the darkness that had possessed Sarah, so hearing that she was under a necromancer's influence only confirms what Mas knew. -Necromancer: "Before I say anything on this matter, I'd like to hear how a group such as yourselves came to be here." The Party should tell Mas where they're from (slave ship) and how they got the quest (General H). After this, Mas will reveal what he knows of the necromancer.

"Tell me....do you believe in destiny?" Mas will tell of his dreams concerning the Party, and why he sent them to kill the spiders.

For centuries, there has been a cult brewing in these lands. They’ve had their hands in the assassinations of kings, the plagues of kingdoms, and the ruin of former noble houses. They are a shadow cult, and they have remained anonymous for an age. Until now. “Recent changes in the ebb and flow of time have brought me here, to the temple, asking the Shaded Father for answers. The Shaded Father has been kind; in my dreams, he has revealed to me a most disturbing truth: the King is not who he claims to be. It is revealed to me that the Caladian King is a doppleganger, and the real one has been kidnapped or worse. “It is up to you to return to the light above and bring balance to the kingdom of Calad. Start by making your way to the throne room, and confront King Mallus.”

With a DC 18 Insight check, a player can feel like Mas is hiding something. With a DC 15 Persuasion check, a player can persuade Mas to tell him the truth. With a DC 17 Intimidation check, the player can coerce him to tell the truth. With a DC 19 Deception check, the player can deceive Mas into telling the truth. Mas is the brother to King Mallus, and next in line to the throne if the king dies.

Experience:

Part 3: 50 XP for every battle

25 bonus XP to individual players for individual kills

25 bonus XP to individual players for executions

150 XP for completing the quest

Stage Four: The Horned King

Once the party takes in whatever information they can take from Mas, they now venture back into town. Depending on the party’s previous choice, they are either wanted by the city guard, or they are not allowed back in the city. If they are exiled, then any confrontation between them and a guard can be considered hostile. If they are wanted for escaping, then the guards will attempt to arrest the party on sight, and take them back to the palace dungeon, where the party may once again escape to make it to the throne room. No matter what they decide, once they enter the throne room, the king is sitting at his throne and waiting the party. To the king’s right is General Helwarth. To the king’s left is the champion of the kingdom, Bellok. Leading to the throne, there is a red velvet carpet, with four massive pillars on each side. The pillars are five feet wide, and 15 feet tall; they hold the ceiling in place. The throne room itself is 40 feet by 40 feet. The king stares at the party, and motions for Bellok to fight them.

Bellok is a towering Half-Orc. Twice the weight of most half-bloods, his sheer mass gives him a +5 advantage when wielding heavy armors and he can wield two-handed weapons with one hand, taking a -2 penalty to attack rolls.

Bellok’s Stats:

HD: 2d10+8

Great Axe: 1d12+3 (x3 crit)

Plate Armor

AC 17

Speed: 25 feet

Axe Tornado: 1d6 x 1d4; 10 foot reach

• Special* Axe Tornado has several parts: First, roll the amount of spins the attack will make (1d4). Then roll for Attack for each spin, then roll Damage (1d6) for each spin and add the damage totals. Before Axe Tornado begins, players have an opportunity to dodge each swing with a DC 10 (+1 per swing) Dexterity check.

When Bellok is at or below 10 HP, he will start to stagger. Once he reaches 3 or less HP, he falls to his knees. The party can choose to let him live or die. If they choose to let him live, he falls unconscious to the floor. The King addresses the party after the defeat of Bellok.

“Interesting. I never thought I’d see the day when Bellok would fall. No matter. General Helwarth, remove them.”

The general makes his way towards the party, and the king stands and makes his way behind the throne. A loud rumble is heard as the throne room shakes, and the king disappears behind a secret doorway. General Helwarth, looking to be in despair, addresses the party. He will have two separate reactions, depending on the fate of Bellok. If Bellok lives: “I see you do have mercy in your hearts. Perhaps, then, you could spare this old man? I have seen my share of death and war, and now Mallus has taken this kingdom into a dark and terrifying place. I will not raise my sword against you, great warriors. I don’t stand a chance in hell, anyways. Especially if Bellok fell to you. However, I ask simply that you let me collect my comrade and make my way to the barracks where I can give my men their new orders: to await the fate of the king.”

If Bellok dies: “I see you are without mercy. I’m sorry it had to come to this. Bellok never knew, but he was my son, and you have taken the only memory of his mother from me. I can not allow this. I know you will defeat me. It is without question. I only ask that you give me a good, clean death. I will not hold back, and neither should you. Have at you!”

Helwarth is rather tall for a human. On the smaller side of a large being. He is also a seasoned veteran. He has an acute sense of things, and players near him can not backstab him, nor can they take him by surprise. He is also capable of finding weaknesses in opponents, and receives a +2 to attack rolls.

Helwarth’s stats:
HD: d10+10
Longsword
Half Plate Armor
AC 16

• Special* Taunt: Helwarth can distract an opponent, making him target Helwarth with physical attacks only for 1d4 turns. A DC 13 Wisdom save will prevent this.
• Special* Intimidating Stature: Using his size and years of combat, Helwarth can scare a player. A DC 14 Wisdom save will prevent this.

If Helwarth is slain, his loot and Bellok’s become available. Each player rolls a d%.

Helwarth’s loot:

01-33: Longsword +1

34-66: Crest of Saints (a necklace that grants +1 to all attributes for any Lawfully aligned character)

67-00: Half Plate of Dexterity/Wisdom/Constitution/Strength (pick or roll [d% 01-25; 26-50; 51-75; 76-00] for one) +2

Bellok’s loot:

01-33: Tornado Greataxe (+2 on attack rolls, large characters can wield this weapon with one hand)

34-66: Plate Armor +1 (indestructible)

67-00: Spiked Plate Helm +1 (indestructible, player receives +1 on Intimidation checks)

Once Helwarth is out of the picture, the party should follow the king through the passage. The passage is 5 feet wide, and 10 feet tall, and is dark. Only with a light source of some kind can players see without darkvision. After 20 feet, the passage comes to a very large and seemingly open void. There is no light, save for what the party has on them. There is a sheer drop in front of them, which, if investigated, will reveal at least a 100 foot drop. The path to the next area is barely visible, but with a DC 10 Investigation check, a player can just barely make out the platform about 10 feet in front of the party. A DC 10 Acrobatics check can see a player across successfully. From here, allow the players several jumping opportunities, and pepper the platforms with a few undead. Once you decide to take the party to the next level down, there will be another passage. The passage is 5 feet across, and 7 feet tall. This passage starts to get wider as the party travels down, and after 30 feet, the passage becomes 20 feet wide, and 5 feet after that, there is a 40 square feet antechamber. The ceiling is 20 feet above the players, and at the opposite wall from where they entered the antechamber is a 15 feet tall pair of doors that are 10 feet wide per door. They are slightly ajar. Just enough for the party to enter one at a time. Inside, the party is greeted by a large chamber, lit green with unnatural fires. The chamber is vast. 30 feet high, 50 feet by 50 feet long and wide. Twenty feet in front of the players, there is a set of steps that lead up for 5 feet. On top of these steps, there appears to be an altar of some sort, and the king is in front of this altar. Behind the altar is a river of green illuminated water, imbued with some type of magic. On either side of the altar, there are statues of demon knights who are holding large axes. The king is wearing the robes of the same person that was in the cave with Sarah, and without turning, the king speaks to the party:

“Interesting that you have made it this far. Did Bellok live? Did you slay Helwarth? It does not matter now. What matters is simply the purge. With my sacrifices, the Old Gods are now satisfied with me, and are offering me transcendance. There is only one more sacrifice to be made.”

With these final words, the king drives a dagger in his chest as he stumbles towards the green river. Once he stumbles in, allow the party a moment to look around, and at any random moment, begin describing the scene as the river starts to boil violently. A new beast emerges from the river. The massive clawed hands are the first to reach out, grabbing the ledge, followed by the beasts scarred and nightmarishly horned head. Its body follows as it brings its hooves from the river as well. An undead minotaur now stands before the party. It looks the party over, and turns to one of the statues and begins to walk over, grabbing one of the axes from the statue on the right.

With a deep and powerful voice, the minotaur speaks: “There is no hope for you here.”

The minotaur is a towering 20 feet tall. His size makes it almost impossible to overpower him. Any player caught in a power struggle with him must make a DC 18 Strength check in order to succeed. He is also slightly resistant to magic. He has a +2 buff to saving throws against magic.

HD: 4d10+10

Statue’s Greataxe: 1d12 damage

No Armor

AC 15

Speed: 40 feet

Reach: 10 feet

• Special* Raging Taurus: The minotaur takes a turn to charge the attack. He tramples a path directly in front of him in any direction he desires for 25 feet. Anything within 5 feet in front of him when the attack occurs takes 2d6 damage, is thrown ten feet backward, and is knocked unconscious. Anything between 5 and 25 feet away takes 1d10 damage, and gets thrown ten feet backwards. If the minotaur collides with a wall, the entire chamber rumbles. Otherwise, the minotaur comes to a sliding ten feet stop. If the party can deal 2d10 damage on the minotaur’s charging turn, then they can stagger him and prevent the attack.
• Special* Impale: The minotaur walks over to any player that has been knocked down and, standing over him or her, thrusts his horns down, seeking to impale the player. A DC 10 Dexterity save can see a player rolling out of the way. If the player fails the save, then the player is seriously wounded, and takes 1d4 damage per round until the wounds are healed.

Once the beast is slain, the party collects themselves. There is no loot, but the robed figure from the thieves guild brings himself from the shadows, removes his hood, and reveals himself to be Father Mas. The party engages in conversation with him. If not already revealed, he tells the party that he is the late king’s brother. He also tells them that once they reach the throne room, he will order their banishment lifted, and will see to their reward. Then, using magic, he turns the river back into regular water, and then leads the party out through a secret door that leads to a long staircase that leads up to the throne room. In the throne room, the party encounters some of the villagers and a large portion of the royal guard. Depending if Helwarth was killed, he will be there too.

If Helwarth is there, he approaches the party, and shakes their hands, congratulating them and thanking them for their efforts. He has a smile on his face as his son, Bellok approaches the party and kneels, claiming that he owes his allegiance to the ones that defeated him. Then, Helwarth approaches Mas, and announces him as the new king. Mas then renounces the party’s exile, and gives them each titles, and the party is given the deed to a large home at the edge of realm, as well as gold. If Helwarth is not there, Mas announces his claim to the throne, and is immediately challenged by the noble courts. The party is asked about the events by the nobles. Once the party explains the details, they are asked to choose a leader for the people: one of the nobles or Mas. There is a third option: The party is able to elect themselves as the leaders.

Experience:

Part 5: 50 XP for every battle

25 bonus XP to individual players for individual kills

25 bonus XP to individual players for executions

100 XP for defeating Bellok

50 bonus XP for slaying Bellok

75 bonus XP for sparing Bellok

75 bonus XP for letting Helwarth take Bellok

100 XP for defeating Helwarth

500 XP for defeating the Undead Minotaur

50 bonus XP for choosing a noble successor

50 bonus XP for choosing Mas as a successor

75 bonus XP for choosing the party as the successors

250 XP for completing the quest

Rewards for completing the campaign with Mas as a successor:

750 GP; Land deed to Briarfall Manor; Nobility status

Rewards for completing the campaign with a noble as a successor:

500 GP; banishment is lifted; free rooms at the local tavern; offer of a land deed to Briarfall Manor for 13,000 GP

From this point on, the world of Drudlein is at your disposal. There are other parts of this world that are used in separate quests in the Drudlein Campaign, but I haven’t spilled the beans on these just yet. I may end up putting these up, but not yet. I hope you enjoy playing this as much as I did making it, and feel free to add or take away whatever suits you. There isn’t much here, and this is a pretty beginner-style DM creation, so don’t get too caught up in the lack of details. Use your imagination and fill in the blanks.

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