The Temple of the Crawling Death (5e Quest)

Work In Progress

The Temple of the Crawling Death

An one shot adventure for 4 player characters of 3rd level

Background

A forgotten death god had worshippers in an ancient civilization now extinct. This civilization built a tower, a temple in its honor, that now rots away with the passing of time, forgotten in the middle of a jungle.

One researcher of old religions found old scrolls devoted to this death god, and researching it, became obsessed with his teachings, specially those concerning immortality through undeath. He became a worshipper of this deity, and soon enough, a cult in honor of this death god appeared, with this former researcher as his leader.

Through the old scrolls, the researcher managed to summon an envoy of this death god, that gave him and his cult a mission: find the old temple and open the portal to the plane-prison of the death god on the temple, and he will be rewarded with the eternal undeath.

Now, in a village near the temple, a death curse has spread, and villagers have been marked with a dark sigil, that slowly claim their lives. Their souls are imprisoned on the temple, feeding the death portal and slowly allowing passage to the Death God himself.

The characters must first discover the source of the crawling death curse and prevent the portal from being opened.

Overview

This adventure is meant as an one shot, but can also be played as a short two session adventure. It is split in three parts:

• Part 1 - Investigation: The characters arrive at the city of neari, that is currently plagued by a terrible curse, and the characters must ask around to find clue about the source of this eldritch disease.
• Part 2 - Travel Through the Jungle: The characters must venture the jungles near the city and face the environment.
• Part 3 - The Temple of the Death God: Finally at the temple, the PCs must stop the ritual that is being performed by the cult of the Crawling Death.

City of Neari

Neari is a small city with no more than two thousand inhabitants. Its population is mostly human, although at least a tenth of the population is humanoid but non-human. The City main exports are lumber and cattle, and there are some small farms nearby (the inhabitants of the nearing farms count as part of this city population).

Points of Interest

• Merry Harper Inn. A two storey building with rooms in the second floor and a bar on the first. Usually, there's always a bard playing on a platform in one of the tavern corners on weekends, but currently the place is devoid of music.
• The Barracks. A medium sized building with an entrance hall, the guard captain office, an arsenal and quarters for gathering. There's also an underground building with cells for temporary holding of criminals.
• Church of Pelor. In the middle of the city there's a church devoted to the sun god pelor. There's a House of Healing on the building, where the priestess of pelor Solana and the acolytes perform healings and ceremonies for a symbolic "pay what you can" donation plus costs (if there is one).
• The City Hall. This large three storey manor is the city hall and residence of the mayor of the city. The first floor has a large public hall where the citizens can go to require an audience, and the mayor will generally agree with those.

Trade and Commerce

The players can find any non-magical object available on the player's handbook here, and they can buy mounts and vehicles with a cost of up to 200 gp (no elephants, camels and ships are available).

For magical items, the characters can make a Charisma (Persuasion) check to find information about someone selling one, with a DC of 15 (for common magical items) or 20 (for uncommon). After each check (succeeding or failing), the DC raises by 5.

The Crawling Death Curse

Curse Stacks

Every 24 hours outside the temple, or every hour inside or within 100 meters of the temple, a creature must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, they gain 1 Curse Stack. A creature dies once they have Curse Stacks equal to their Constitution score. Whenever a creature is within 100 meters of the temple, and every hour they stay in the tower, they roll for saves against the curse as if 24 hours have passed.

• When a cursed creature takes damage, it takes +1 necrotic damage per stack.
• When a cursed creature takes damage, it takes +1 necrotic damage per stack.

Soul Consumption

When a cursed creature is reduced to 0 HP, its soul is pulled screaming into the Death Portal, and only a wish, true resurrection, or defeating the Envoy can return it.

Part 1. Arriving at Neari

When players arrive at Neari, it doesn’t take long to discover the terrible curse that befell the city. There’s a somber atmosphere in the area, and the population seems either scared or suspicious of the newcomers.

Merry Harper Inn

If the characters go to the Merry Harper Inn, they hear talk about the mysterious disease that fell over the city. They can gather two clues in the tavern:

• A couple of citizens are being treated from the curse in the church. The priestess of the sun is seemingly unaffected, and the temple seems to stall the curse.
• If they spend some time talking to the customers and workers in the Inn (and if they are likeable) they can learn about an old story about a haunted tower in the middle of the woods. As kids, some boys in Neari would go there as a test of courage.
• If the owner of the Inn is asked or hear a question being asked about the confrontation that happened with the other traveling group, he reveals that one of the travelers insulted the priestess Solana, which prompted a fight. The leader of the expedition reprimanded the group member that insulted, and apologized to Solana, preventing further escalation.

Temple of Pelor

If they go to the temple of Pelor, they will find the tired priestess Solana, struggling to keep the curse at bay. Here they will discover that Channel Divinity can hinder the advance of the course on a single individual for 1 hour.

• Solana believes that the sacred grounds in the temple protect against the curse, which makes her suspect that some type of necromancy is at play. (The temple is hallowed, and this does in fact stops the accumulation of Curse Stacks).

• If asked about the confrontation, she will vaguely recall some religious insult to the sun god, but also recall the apologies made.

The City Hall

In the City Hall, the burgomaster is desperate for someone to solve this problem and is willing to pay 50 gp to each party member that helps to solve the problem. He can be convinced through bartering to increase the value to up to 100 gp per party member.

• If they attempt to talk to a member of the guard, they will point them at the Barracks, where they can talk to the Guardmaster Heinrick. If he sees weapons on the characters, he will remark annoyed about another armed group causing trouble a couple of weeks ago and express his distaste for adventurers.

• The other group were the cultists in the direction of the tower. Heinrick didn’t make the connection between this group and the happenings in the city, but he seemingly recalls a confrontation with one of them on the tavern.

Part 2. Journey Through the Jungle

The jungle is unnaturally quiet, and a heavy, oppressive fog rolls in at times. The air is thick with the scent of decay, and the players may hear strange whispers in the wind, heightening the sense of dread.

The characters must venture in the woods that surround Neari and find the old trail followed by the cultists. The characters need to roll a Wisdom (Survival) check against a DC of 13 to find the path. They have a +1 bonus on the check for each clue they gathered in the town. A failure results in a roll on the random encounter table below.

The travel takes 1 hour. If they are moving at a fast pace, it takes half an hour, but they face the Fixed Encounter below. You don’t need to roll on the encounter table if they are moving at a slow pace, but the journey takes 2 hours.

Fixed Encounter: Undead Panthers (2)

Medium undead, unaligned AC 12, Hit Points 22, 50 ft. climb 40 ft; Str 14, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 3, Wis 14, Cha 7; Perception +4, Stealth +6; passive Perception 14;

Passive Traits

Keen Smell; immune to necrotic and poison; immune to charmed, frightened, exhaustion and poisoned conditions; resistance to cold, lightning, thunder and psychic damage, and bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from non-magical attacks; Darkvision 60 feet;

Pounce

If the panther moves at least 20 feet before making a claw attack, the target must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or is knocked prone, allowing the panther to make an attack with its bonus action.

Actions

Bite. +4 to hit, 5 (1d6 +2) piercing damage plus 5 (2d4) necrotic damage, claw +4 to hit, 1d4 +2 slashing damage plus 5 (2d4) necrotic damage). On hit, the creature must make a saving throw against the Death Curse.

Random Encounters

Random Encounter Table

Encounter	d8
1. Curse-Withered Corpse	Rotten corpse tangle in vines. DC 14 Medicine reveals death from the curse. If touched, releases a deathly shriek—each PC must make a DC 12 Wisdom save or gain 1 level of exhaustion from fear and 1 curse stack.
2. Jungle Ambush (Undead Panthers)	Two undead panthers stalk the party in near silence. If the party is loud or not on guard, they get surprise. (If this is rolled, the Fixed Encounter doesn't happen).
3.Lost Hermit	A ragged old man emerges, paranoid and clutching a staff carved with holy symbols. He fled Neari weeks ago and rants about the tower and “the voice in the trees.” Calming him (DC 15 Persuasion) provides useful lore and a minor magic item (e.g. Potion of Lesser Restoration).
4. Vine Snare Trap	Jungle vines animated by necromantic magic lash out from the ground. DC 13 Perception to spot; otherwise, one random character is restrained (DC 14 Strength to break free or cut through 10 hp worth of vine AC 12). If left alone, the vines seem to drag the victim toward a dark pool.
5. Corpse Monkeys	A troop of monkeys with patchy fur and pale, lifeless eyes screech from the trees. They don't attack, but they follow the party, mimicking their every move. If attacked, they scatter, but if followed, they lead the party to a tree where a cursed idol is hidden in a knot. Touching it triggers a minor curse (Disadvantage on the next attack, check or save the character makes this day, DM choice).
6. Choking Fog	A heavy fog rolls in, smelling of mildew and rot. Visibility drops to 10 ft. Everyone must make a DC 12 Constitution save or begin coughing uncontrollably, gaining disadvantage on Perception and Stealth for the next hour. This fog is unnatural and fades quickly once passed.
7. Whispers of the Death God	The air grows cold and the jungle unnaturally still. One PC hears a voice whispering in their mind: “You are near. I see you.” DC 13 Wisdom save or suffer disadvantages on saving throws against fear until long rest. If passed, the PC gains a vague vision of the tower’s upper terrace and the upcoming ritual.
8. Fallen Pilgrim	A trail of broken holy charms leads to a dying cleric. She attempted to stop the cult but was struck by the curse. With her last breath, she warns them of the Envoy’s ritual. If healed (e.g., Lesser Restoration), she recovers but is too weak and scared to fight. She offers the party a Sunstone—a radiant gem that casts Daylight once per day.

Tower of the Death God

A clearance in the middle of the woods hides a tall three store building made of sun dried mud bricks, a cross between a squared tower and a ziggurat. The building is in total 60-foot tall, which each "block" that makes each of its levels around 20-foot high. A long staircase leads directly to the second floor.

Also, six tall black obelisks adorn the patio in front of the temple, with inscriptions in an ancient language (characters who cast Read Languages or that can decipher it through other means will read basically commandments for the crawling death god).

From left to right, it reads:

When the breathless dream, the Worm shall wake

When all is silent, the Moon shall speak

What Truth the Eye beholds, no life can take

Time drips like blood, the Hour is bleak

The Chains remain, when the links rust

Kneel, remember, and return to dust

The tower starts in Halls of Servants and Guardians

Connectors in the Tower

The corridors and empty rooms on the Tower have the same characteristics, filled with intricate paintings, ancient runes from a lost language, decorated floor tiles and torches alongside the walls.

Level 1. Base of the Tower (Below Entrance Level)

Hall of the Death Portal

Octagonal chamber, pillars sculpted in obsidian. Bone totems attached to walls. A circular hole of pure darkness in the center, circled by skulls.

• The death curse is spreading from this wheel of death. Touching it will force the characters to make a save against the Death Curse. Entering the wheel will transport them to the realm of the death god, with no way back.
• A DC 15 Investigation or Medicine check on the skulls that adorn the circle will reveal that the skulls were recently cleansed, indicating the recent death of their former owners.
• The Death Portal will be closed if the Envoy is banished to its realm.

Cells of the Death Priests

These dark and solitary chambers serve as rooms for the ancient priests of the Death God.

• The chambers are bare, with a stone bed and a small bench, and no windows, nothing similar to the lavish chambers of the high priest.
• In three of the chambers, there are prisoners, harmless travelers captured by the cult, to be used as sacrifice in the ritual.

Level 2. The Halls of the Servants and Guardians

Entrance Stairway

This large stairway leads to the temple’s entrance. A large stone door is carved with the sacred symbol of the death god.

• This stairway leads to the Chamber of Worship.
• The entrance was trapped by Madgul. Upon opening, a crossbow attached to a wire will fire, forcing its target to make a Dexterity saving throw (DC 12) or take 1d10 piercing damage. A magical death gas is released if the arrow hit the target, forcing all creatures within 10 feet of it to make a Constitution saving throw or take 2d6 poison damage and causing them to be poisoned for 1 minute. A poisoned creature can make another save at the end of each turn to end this effect.
• The trap can be located with a Passive Perception of 15, a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check with a DC of 12; it can be disarmed with a Thieves’ Tools check with a DC of 12.
• The Heavy Crossbow used as a trap can be taken by PCs.

Chamber of Worship

A large octagonal chamber, filled with statues of undead beings bowing down to the death god himself. This was a room used for silent meditation and to show devotion.

• Here was the heart of this temple. In the altar, the death god can be seen towering over the room and the land below. The statue can be seen by any creature climbing the stairs if the doors are open.
• The east door leads to the Temple of Necromancy, and the staircase leads to the Noble Quarters.
• The west door leads to a corridor and a descending staircase to level 1.

Temple of Necromancy

Here, in old times, the priests of the temple would raise the worthy servitors as undead servants, an honor only loyal worshipers of the death god could attain.

• This area was reactivated. A cultist in this room, preparing more corpses for transformation. Three zombies and a ghoul have already been raised. Investigating the cultist corpse reveals the key that open the gated entrance to the High Priest Chamber.
• An Investigation check (DC 15) in this room reveals a secret passage behind a scroll shelf, that leads to the Hidden Vault of the High Priest.

Hidden Vault of the High Priest

The high priest has hidden his secret treasure behind a fake wall.

Level 3. The Noble Quarters

Chambers of the High Priest

In ancient times, here resided the high priest of the death god, were he reveled in his dark practices. The place is adorned in gold and gems and is marked by sin and decay.

• Opening the door that leads to the chamber will activate a pit trap in an area of 10-foot square pit, with the characteristics “Locking” and “Spiked” (as per DM guide).
• The leader of the Cult of the Death God, Madgul (cult fanatic) claimed this room for himself. Alongside him, eight cult members await him, acting as guardians.
• If the group was noisy until reaching this area (DM judgement) or in case of doubt, if they fail a Stealth check, resisted by the High Priest Perception, the cultists will be ready to face the PCs. Furniture will be used as cover and two cultists will be hidden in the room, waiting for the invaders.
• A spiral staircase leads to the terrace.

Level 4. Terrace or Platform of the Tower

Sacrificial Platform

The envoy of the dead god stands alone here, preparing for his sacrifice. The rite is stopped by the entrance of the characters in this area. A strange purplish glow emanates from the central platform.

• The envoy of the Death God.

Envoy of the Death God: Medium fiend (undead), neutral evil, AC 19, 100 hp, immune to necrotic and poison, resistant to non-magical physical attacks. Has truesight up to a range of 120 feet and telepathy for the same distance. Spells: detect good and evil, detect magic, detect thoughts (at will); bane, inflict wounds, ray of sickness, darkness,

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